Mumbai, April 17: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out a second round of search operations on Friday in connection with a money laundering case involving Nashik-based godman Ashok Kharat.
Fresh searches at sealed premises in Nashik
The fresh action was conducted at his commercial premises, known as the Oaks Property Office, located in the Canada Corner area of Nashik. Officials said the premises had earlier been sealed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on March 26 after initial searches in the case led to the recovery of over 100 videos of alleged sexual transgressions and other incriminating material.
According to officials, the premises continue to remain under SIT seal. The ED initiated the fresh searches after coordinating with the Nashik SIT and local police to gain access to the site for further investigative proceedings, ensuring that the chain of custody of existing evidence was not compromised.
Premises key to alleged exploitation network
Officials said the entry into the Oaks Property Office marks a significant moment in the financial probe, as this location is alleged to be the "exploitation ring" and the operational nerve centre for Ashok Kharat’s activities.
While the SIT is examining physical and biological evidence, the ED is focusing on digital and financial material, including computer peripherals, server data, and physical ledgers, to substantiate charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Large volume of documents and digital evidence examined
Recently, the SIT shared with the ED a large volume of material, including evidence and land transaction records linked to alleged property dealings and financial transactions. These include suspected benami properties, over 80 property-related documents, and 52 land entries (7/12 extracts), along with cheque books, receipts, and financial registers. Computers, hard disks, and multiple pen drives seized during the searches have also been handed over to the ED for further investigation.
During the search operation, the SIT seized over 80 property documents and 52 land entries (7/12 extracts) spread across Nashik, Pune, and Solapur. These records, found alongside sale deeds and financial registers, link Kharat and his associates to a vast network of alleged benami properties and luxury assets. All physical and digital evidence has been shared with the ED to map the total “proceeds of crime.”
High-value assets and properties under scrutiny
The SIT has recovered several registered documents of high-value assets allegedly linked to Kharat and his family members across Maharashtra. Documents seized from their residence and the Oaks Property Office connect the family to multiple properties.
Among the properties under scrutiny are the commercial office in Nashik, estimated at around Rs 1.5 crore; a wedding lawn in Shirdi valued between Rs 10 crore and Rs 12 crore; agricultural land parcels spanning nearly 25 acres in Solapur and Sinnar, estimated at Rs 15 crore; and a luxury bungalow in Nashik’s Karmayogi Nagar worth around Rs 5 crore.
Officials alleged that a significant portion of the assets was layered in the names of family members to obscure ownership. Documents recovered during the probe indicate that multiple properties, including a farmhouse in Mirgaon (Sinnar) valued at around Rs 10 crore, land parcels near Pathardi, and residential units in Pune, including row houses in Koregaon Park, were registered in the name of Kharat’s wife, Kalpana Kharat.
Assets traced to family members and associates
The probe has also identified assets in the name of Srishti Kharat, his daughter, including a high-end apartment in Pune’s Model Colony estimated at Rs 3-4 crore, two row houses in Koregaon Park, and residential flats in Shirdi, suspected to have been used for select visitors.
Sources said investigators are also examining land parcels in the Sinnar-Ghoti belt, allegedly purchased in Srishti Kharat’s name before major infrastructure announcements, indicating a possible attempt to profit from future appreciation in land prices.
Officials said sale deeds and 7/12 extracts recovered during the SIT search suggest that several high-value land parcels in Pathardi and Sinnar were registered in the names of associates allegedly linked to Kharat’s financial network. Investigators suspect these transactions formed part of a structured mechanism to route funds collected from victims through intermediaries and invest them in agricultural as well as non-agricultural land.
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Digital trail to establish money laundering charges
In addition to physical records, the SIT seized hard disks and servers from the Oaks Property Office containing digital records of land transactions and details of alleged proxy holders used in property acquisitions. These electronic records have been shared by the SIT with the ED to establish the alleged “proceeds of crime” under the PMLA.
Earlier this week, the ED had conducted searches at 13 locations across Nashik, Mumbai, Pune, and Shirdi as part of its expanding investigation into the case.
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