Nashik Court Remands Astrologer in Custody for Alleged Rape and Exploitation
A retired Merchant Navy officer, who worked as an astrologer, has been remanded in police custody until March 24 by a Nashik court on Thursday. This follows his arrest on Wednesday for allegedly repeatedly raping a woman over more than three years.
Arrest and Charges Under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
The accused, Ashok Kumar Kharat, aged 67 and popularly known as "captain," was arrested by the Nashik city police from his residence early Wednesday morning. He was later produced before the court, which sent him to police custody. A case has been registered at Sarkarwada police station under sections 64 (punishment for rape) and 74 (assault or criminal force with intent to outrage a woman’s modesty) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Additionally, provisions of the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013, have been invoked. The investigation is being handled by the crime branch.
Details of the Alleged Exploitation and Assault
Police stated that Kharat, who also serves as the chairman of the Shree Ishaneshwar Mahadev Temple Trust in Mirgaon, Sinnar taluka, allegedly exploited the complainant over several years. According to the complaint, the woman first visited him in 2019 with a relative seeking guidance on finding a suitable marriage partner. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, she could not follow up for some time. In 2022, after finding a marriage prospect, she approached him again. The astrologer gave her a pendant and instructed her never to remove it. However, she took it off while appearing for an exam, and within a week, her marriage proposal fell through. With her faith in the astrologer deepening, he convinced her that he had 'divine powers' and forced her into performing rituals. He then allegedly raped her for the first time by giving her a concoction that caused numbness, later threatening that she would never get married if she resisted.
Police added that even after the woman got married, Kharat allegedly continued to manipulate her. This continued until December 2025, with officials citing the complaint that he threatened her that her husband would die if she did not comply with his sexual demands.
Evidence Recovery and Special Investigation Team
Investigators reported recovering some documents, a pistol, and cartridges from his house in Mirgaon. Police also said 58 videos, including some objectionable clips stored on a pen drive, have been recovered from Kharat, as reported by news agency PTI. The state government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case. The SIT is headed by Tejaswi Satpute, commandant of the State Reserve Police Force, Pune, who visited Nashik and interrogated the accused for over two hours on Thursday. In an order signed by Special IG Manoj Kumar Sharma, the director general of police’s office directed the SIT to conduct the investigation and submit regular progress reports. Satpute had also headed an SIT in a separate case involving the alleged suicide of a doctor in Satara’s Phaltan last year.
A Nashik police officer said the probe is being carried out by the crime branch under the supervision of the SIT, with all relevant information being shared with the team. Police have also searched the accused’s residence in Nashik city and his farmhouse in Sinnar as part of the investigation.
Political Reactions and Denials
Minister of state for home Yogesh Kadam assured strict action and urged more victims to come forward. He appealed to all women who may have complaints against the astrologer to come forward, promising protection and stringent action. He added that authorities would examine whether the accused was promoting superstition or engaging in illegal practices, stating that any wrongdoing would be investigated.
The case has triggered a political row. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare alleged that several individuals in the government had links with the accused, specifically raising concerns about his association with Maharashtra State Commission for Women chairperson Rupali Chakankar. Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chief Harshvardhan Sapkal said Chakankar should have resigned. Former MP Sambhaji Raje Chhatrapati also demanded action, calling for strict measures against Chakankar if necessary.
Chakankar, however, denied any knowledge of the accused’s personal life or the allegations. In a social media post, she stated that the allegations would be investigated impartially by the police, expressing full faith in the investigation. Efforts to contact her for further comment remained unanswered at the time of reporting.
