A court in Nashik has remanded self proclaimed godman Ashok Kharat to police custody until May 4 in a cheating case involving a Pune based businessman who has alleged that he was defrauded of more than Rs 5 crore.
Custody Granted in Ninth Case Against Kharat
The Special Investigation Team probing cases linked to Kharat moved the court on April 30 seeking his custody in the cheating case. This matter is described as the ninth case against him.
Kharat is facing charges in eight other cases involving allegations of sexually exploiting women. For security reasons, the court proceedings were conducted through video conferencing and he was not produced in person.
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Court Accepts Prosecution’s Case for Further Probe
During the hearing, the police sought custody while the defence opposed the request, arguing that the SIT was repeating the same reasons for police custody each time and that there was no strong basis for it. The court accepted the prosecution’s submission that this was a separate case and that further investigation was necessary because a large amount of money was involved.
Following that, the court remanded Kharat to four days of police custody. The source identifies the case as one registered at Sarkarwada police station in Nashik.
Businessman Alleges Payments, Travel and Mercedes Gift
The Pune based businessman alleged that he sponsored Kharat’s trips to Myanmar, Greenland and the United States, gifted him a Mercedes car, and also paid Rs 2.5 crore towards the construction of his farmhouse.
The FIR states that Kharat took around Rs 5 crore and a Mercedes car worth Rs 90 lakh from the complainant. The police have said further investigation is required, and the latest remand gives the SIT additional time to examine the allegations in what prosecutors described as a distinct case amid the broader probe linked to Kharat.
About the author – Rehan Khan is a law student and legal journalist with a keen interest in cybercrime, digital fraud, and emerging technology laws. He writes on the intersection of law, cybersecurity, and online safety, focusing on developments that impact individuals and institutions in India.
