Nashik: “A fish is not an animal but an aquatic plant that grows in water.” Not only this, but self-styled godman Ashok Kharat allegedly went to the extent of claiming that “when a fish is cut, no blood comes out and it has no bones.” By presenting it as a form of ‘prasad’ rather than non-vegetarian food, he reportedly misled many devotees and persuaded them to consume meat. Following the growing number of complaints against Kharat, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed, and its probe has now brought these shocking acts to light.
More and more bizarre instances of fraud by Kharat, who is accused of exploiting people’s religious sentiments and cheating them out of lakhs of rupees, are now emerging. The self-styled godman allegedly trapped even Jain businessmen in his web and extorted huge sums of money from them. He is said to have used different tactics to lure people, including targeting devotees who strictly followed a vegetarian lifestyle.
Kharat reportedly did not spare even Jain businessmen, who strictly adhere to the principle of non-violence. By falsely claiming that fish is a plant, he allegedly collected donations worth lakhs of rupees from them in the name of ‘prasad’. Shockingly, many educated individuals also fell prey to his strange and misleading claims.
“The fake godman Kharat gave fish as prasad. Whether one chooses vegetarianism or non-vegetarianism is a personal matter. But Kharat has interfered in people’s personal lives. Jain community members should now come forward and register a case against him," said Krishna Chandgude, State Executive at ANiS
