A court in Nashik on Sunday (March 29, 2026) extended the police custody of self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, arrested in a rape case, till April 1.
Kharat, who headed a temple trust at Mirgaon in Nashik district and whom several prominent Maharashtra politicians visited over the years, was arrested on March 18 after a woman accused him of raping her repeatedly over three years.
Ten FIRs, eight for alleged sexual assault or exploitation and two for cheating, have so far been registered against him at Sarkarwada police station in the city.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is conducting a probe against him, has received more than 100 complaints, most of them from women, over the phone in the last few days, police said on Saturday.
Kharat was produced before the court on Sunday after the end of his previous police custody. The court asked Kharat whether he had any complaints, to which he replied negatively.
