SIT detains son of rape accused 'godman' Ashok Kharat for questioning, hunt on for wife

Nashik: The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is conducting a probe against rape accused self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, has detained his son from Nashik city for questioning and is also searching for his wife, police said.

At least 10 FIRs, eight for alleged sexual assault or exploitation and two for cheating, have been registered against Kharat at Sarkarwada police station in Nashik, while the SIT has received more than 100 complaints over the phone against him.

An SIT team reached Kharat's house located in Karmayogi Nagar here on Tuesday and detained his son Harshvardhan. He was then taken to the Maharashtra Police Academy (MPA) for questioning, police sources said.

The investigators were trying to trace Kharat's wife Kalpana. However, the SIT team failed to find her at the residence and detained their son, they said.

Kharat's police custody will end on Wednesday, following which he will be produced in a local court.

Meanwhile, police in neighbouring Ahilyanagar district on Tuesday registered a case against five persons, including Kharat's wife, for cheating a land owner of more than Rs 4 crore, officials said.

Police in the temple town of Shirdi have arrested two accused in this connection. Kharat's wife is absconding, and efforts are on to trace her, the official said.

"A land owner from Shirdi had taken an unsecured loan of Rs 5.52 crore from Kharat's wife against four acres of land. He had made repayment of around Rs 1.5 crore, but Kharat allegedly tried to grab the land. The owner then lodged a complaint with the police, based on which a case was registered for fraud and under the Maharashtra Money Lending (Regulation) Act," he said.

The two arrested persons have been identified as Arvind Bawake and Kiran Sonawane, he said, adding that Kharat, his wife and a middleman are accused in the case.