Nashik: After the expiry of the police custody period in the third case, Ashok Kharat was produced before the District Court today, Tuesday, through video conferencing. The court remanded him to police custody for five more days, till April 18.
Government counsel Adv. Shailendra Bagde explained the gravity and scope of Kharat’s crimes before the court. The accused allegedly portrayed himself as an incarnation of God and lured women into his trap. He would make the women drink water from a copper vessel and feed them sweets (pedha), which were allegedly laced with sedatives. Claiming, “I am an incarnation of God. By having relations with me, you have become purified,” he allegedly sexually exploited the women.
The prosecution further stated that five days of police custody were necessary to determine exactly what substances were mixed into the sedatives and to investigate what gemstones or ritual objects he used in carrying out this fraudulent practice.
However, Kharat’s lawyer, Adv. Sachin Bhate opposed the demand for police custody. He argued that the police had made similar submissions in the previous cases and that the investigation on those lines had already been conducted; there was no need for further custody.
The prosecution, however, clarified that this case pertains to a different woman and that the investigation remains crucial. Accepting this argument, the court granted five days of police custody.
For security reasons, Kharat was not physically brought to the court today and was instead produced through video conferencing. Initially, due to technical issues, the court’s audio was not reaching Kharat, causing the hearing to be paused for some time. The proceedings resumed after the technical problem was resolved.
So far, several women have filed cases of assault and fraud against Kharat. It has come to light that he allegedly trapped many widowed and married women in his network. With the fresh five-day custody granted in the new case, more shocking aspects of Kharat’s modus operandi are likely to come to light.
