Nashik: Ashok Kharat Sent To Three Days’ Police Custody In Nevasa Trader Fraud Case

Nashik: The swagger and arrogance once displayed by suspect Ashokkumar Eknath Kharat alias ‘Captain’, who allegedly defrauded citizens of crores of rupees and sexually assaulted women by exploiting their fears about the future and using threats of occult rituals and divine powers, had completely vanished by the time he appeared before the Nashik Sessions Court on Wednesday (September 30).

The court remanded Kharat to police custody for another three days in connection with a case in which he allegedly swindled a trader from Nevasa out of lakhs of rupees by providing him with fake gemstones.

Kharat, who once claimed to be an ‘incarnation of Lord Krishna’, was brought to the court under police escort at 12 pm. He appeared in a simple white shirt, with a mask covering his face, visible wrinkles and his head bowed low. Kharat, who had earlier flaunted flashy clothes and expensive jewellery, appeared dejected, drawing attention from those present on the court premises.

How The Nevasa Trader Was Swindled

Rajendra Bhagwat, a trader from Ahilyanagar and a resident of Nevasa, met Kharat in December 2022 at the ‘Ocus Land Developers’ office in Canada Corner, Nashik, seeking solutions to business-related difficulties.

At the time, Kharat allegedly claimed to be an incarnation of Lord Krishna and lured Bhagwat with a promise that he could embed a yellow sapphire and a diamond into a ring using a special mantra. He allegedly claimed that this would bestow divine powers and lead to business prosperity.

Kharat allegedly took three gold rings weighing 20 grams in total and ₹2.62 lakh in cash from Bhagwat. It was later found that the rings contained cheap, fake stones worth only ₹5,000 instead of genuine gemstones, resulting in the alleged fraud involving ₹2.62 lakh.

Investigation By 24 Officers

Given the alleged fraudulent activities involving Kharat, the investigation was handed over to a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on March 20, 2026, following orders from the Director General of Police, Maharashtra.

A team comprising 24 police officers and personnel, including Deputy Commissioner of Police Tejaswi Satpute and Deputy Superintendents Amol Bharti and Kirankumar Suryavanshi, is investigating the case.

Of the 18 cases registered against Kharat, eight involve alleged offences against women, while the others relate to fraud and violations of the anti-superstition law.

Kharat has been in custody since March 18, and the Sarkarwada police are now set to conduct further interrogation in connection with the fake gemstone fraud case.