Gold worth Rs 1 crore, cash seized from Nashik godman Ashok Kharat's bank locker
The Enforcement Directorate seized gold, silver and US dollars from a bank locker linked to Ashok Kharat in Nashik. The recovery has intensified a wider probe into alleged money laundering, suspicious transactions and his financial network.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized gold jewellery worth over Rs 1.1 crore, along with foreign currency and other valuables, from a bank locker linked to alleged fraud godman Ashok Kharat in Maharashtra’s Nashik, officials said on Tuesday.
The locker, jointly held by Ashok Kharat and his wife Kalpana Kharat at Vishwas Cooperative Bank’s Mumbai Naka branch, was opened on May 5 in the presence of their daughter. During the search, officials recovered gold jewellery valued at Rs 1,10,61,407, silver worth Rs 1,89,302 and $5,500 (Rs 5.18 lakh) in cash. The valuables were seized as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation against Kharat.
The ED is currently examining the source of the assets and the financial trail used to acquire them. Officials said multiple bank accounts and lockers linked to Kharat and his associates had earlier been attached during previous searches.
Kharat was recently arrested by police for allegedly sexually assaulting women under the pretext of possessing divine powers and cheating people. Investigators have also uncovered that he allegedly opened several bank accounts in the names of third parties across cooperative credit societies in Nashik, while remaining the sole nominee in all of them.
Separately, a local court in Rahata remanded Kharat to police custody till May 9 in connection with a land purchase scam in Shirdi and fraudulent transactions linked to the Samata Credit Society. Police said he allegedly acquired land from a complainant at an undervalued price and carried out financial dealings involving interest payments at 2 per cent per month.
The probe is focused on tracing the origin of Rs 5.52 crore allegedly used in these transactions, including whether the funds were disclosed to tax authorities. Officials said at least 14 financial transactions involving large sums have been flagged as suspicious.
Kharat’s wife, Kalpana Kharat, is currently absconding, and police have said further interrogation of the accused is required to trace her whereabouts. Authorities are also investigating the role of intermediaries and officials linked to the financial institutions involved.
The case has widened into a multi-agency probe, with investigators examining possible fraud, money laundering, and financial irregularities linked to Kharat’s network.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized gold jewellery worth over Rs 1.1 crore, along with foreign currency and other valuables, from a bank locker linked to alleged fraud godman Ashok Kharat in Maharashtra’s Nashik, officials said on Tuesday.
The locker, jointly held by Ashok Kharat and his wife Kalpana Kharat at Vishwas Cooperative Bank’s Mumbai Naka branch, was opened on May 5 in the presence of their daughter. During the search, officials recovered gold jewellery valued at Rs 1,10,61,407, silver worth Rs 1,89,302 and $5,500 (Rs 5.18 lakh) in cash. The valuables were seized as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation against Kharat.
The ED is currently examining the source of the assets and the financial trail used to acquire them. Officials said multiple bank accounts and lockers linked to Kharat and his associates had earlier been attached during previous searches.
Kharat was recently arrested by police for allegedly sexually assaulting women under the pretext of possessing divine powers and cheating people. Investigators have also uncovered that he allegedly opened several bank accounts in the names of third parties across cooperative credit societies in Nashik, while remaining the sole nominee in all of them.
Separately, a local court in Rahata remanded Kharat to police custody till May 9 in connection with a land purchase scam in Shirdi and fraudulent transactions linked to the Samata Credit Society. Police said he allegedly acquired land from a complainant at an undervalued price and carried out financial dealings involving interest payments at 2 per cent per month.
The probe is focused on tracing the origin of Rs 5.52 crore allegedly used in these transactions, including whether the funds were disclosed to tax authorities. Officials said at least 14 financial transactions involving large sums have been flagged as suspicious.
Kharat’s wife, Kalpana Kharat, is currently absconding, and police have said further interrogation of the accused is required to trace her whereabouts. Authorities are also investigating the role of intermediaries and officials linked to the financial institutions involved.
The case has widened into a multi-agency probe, with investigators examining possible fraud, money laundering, and financial irregularities linked to Kharat’s network.
