Nashik: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has uncovered yet another shocking fraud involving self-styled godman Ashok Kharat. During the probe into his seventh case, officials raided his ‘Oaks’ office, where they seized materials allegedly used to financially exploit devotees, along with a high-value cheque issued in a woman’s name.
Investigations revealed that rings worth around ₹5,000 in the market were being sold by Kharat to unsuspecting followers for amounts running into lakhs. The SIT also recovered 35 circular ring-size moulds fixed in a steel frame from his office.
According to officials, Kharat would take finger measurements of devotees and women who came into contact with him, and then advise them to wear “specific rings” as part of rituals or solutions to their problems. Under this pretext, he allegedly extorted large sums of money.
The seized cheque further indicates that Kharat collected hefty amounts from followers in the name of religious rituals and problem-solving. He already faces serious allegations of sexually exploiting women, and these new findings provide additional evidence of systematic financial fraud.
Investigators believe that Kharat used such tactics, including rings and rituals, to lure victims into his network. The evidence seized by the SIT is expected to significantly strengthen the case against him in court.
