ED Arrests Self-Styled Godman Ashok Kharat In ₹70 Crore Money Laundering Case

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday arrested selfstyled godman Ashok Kharat in connection with an alleged money laundering case after he was produced before a special PMLA court on a production warrant secured through Nashik police. The agency is probing allegations that Kharat amassed huge sums through religious manipulation and routed the proceeds through multiple bank accounts and benami transactions.

Kharat was produced before the special court on Tuesday afternoon following a production warrant issued at the ED’s request. ED prosecutor Arvind Aghav subsequently sought the court’s permission to arrest him, citing the need for custodial interrogation.

Allowing the arrest, the court observed that the agency had detailed allegations of collection of huge sums of money from different sources, intermediary accounts and ultimate beneficiaries. The court noted that Kharat allegedly operated multiple bank accounts, including proxy accounts opened in the names of others, to siphon funds and conceal the source of unaccounted cash.

“The investigating agency wants to trace the source of unaccounted cash allegedly collected by Ashokkumar Eknath Kharat and identify its ultimate beneficiaries,” the court observed, adding that the alleged role of Kharat in money laundering offences had been described in detail.

The court held that Kharat’s arrest was necessary after hearing the prosecutor and investigating officer and reviewing the material placed before it. The ED is expected to produce him before the court on Wednesday to seek further custody for interrogation.

The money laundering investigation stems from multiple cheating cases registered against Kharat. According to the ED, Kharat allegedly extorted money from victims across Maharashtra through religious manipulation and converted illicit proceeds into accounted money with the help of associates, investing in real estate either in his own name or that of family members.

The agency alleged that Kharat created a façade of supernatural powers through staged rituals and deceptive demonstrations using props such as remote-controlled fake snakes and tiger skins to reinforce claims of divine abilities.

On this pretext, he allegedly persuaded victims to part with money, valuables and assets for rituals, travel and fabricated purposes, while selling ordinary items such as wild tamarind seeds as “blessed” objects priced between Rs 10,000 and Rs 1 lakh.

Investigators further claimed Kharat opened nearly 60 bank accounts in the names of various individuals at Samata Nagari Co-operative Credit Society in Rahata, with the same mobile number allegedly linked to all accounts and Kharat named as nominee.

The ED alleged that 43 such accounts were opened on a single day — May 25, 2021 — and that he ultimately controlled 60 accounts linked to 48 special savings and fixed deposit accounts, allegedly using devotees’ documents without consent. Transactions exceeding Rs 70 crore were allegedly routed through these accounts.

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