Chartered Accountant Accuses Nashik 'Godman' Ashok Kharat Of Rs 8.76 Crore Fraud

Sources said the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has registered the complaint and begun a probe into the alleged financial irregularities.

10 Apr 2026, 08:08 · www.ndtv.com

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Chartered accountant Lalit Pophale filed a Rs 8.76 crore cheating complaint against Ashok Kharat
Kharat allegedly misappropriated funds under the pretext of religious rituals and ceremonies
The Special Investigation Team has registered the complaint and initiated a probe into the fraud

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A chartered accountant has filed a cheating complaint against self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, who is already under arrest in a rape case, alleging financial fraud of more than Rs 8.76 crore.

The cheating complaint has been filed by Lalit Pophale, who has been described as Kharat's chartered accountant. Pophale alleged that Kharat cheated him by taking money in the name of religious rituals and ceremonies. According to the complaint, Kharat misappropriated Rs 8.76 crore over a period of time.

Sources said the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has registered the complaint and begun a probe into the alleged financial irregularities.

Investigators said Pophale was made a trustee of Kharat's Shivnika organisation, as having a chartered accountant was mandatory for the trust. The complaint alleges that Kharat took advantage of this arrangement to carry out the fraud.

The allegations suggest that Kharat cheated not only members of the public but also people closely associated with him.

Kharat, a former Merchant Navy officer who called himself "Captain," was arrested on March 17 after a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her over a period of three years. During the investigation, police recovered 58 videos, including some objectionable clips, from a pen drive.

Earlier, NCP leader Rupali Chakankar resigned as president of the party's Maharashtra women's wing amid the controversy linked to Kharat. Chakankar was a trustee of Shri Shivnika Sansthan in Sinnar town of Nashik district, where Kharat was the president.

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