There is a surprising paradox at the core of Ashok Kharat’s story. The 67-year-old self-styled ‘astrologer-god’ from Nashik, who is now being investigated by the Fadnavis government for rape and extortion, had failed in mathematics in the Class 10 board exams but made a name for himself as a numerologist who advised thousands of people, including top politicians of Maharashtra, on how to run their business, personal and political affairs.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) that is investigating Kharat – not just the cases against him but in fact his entire history – found that the numerateist had scored 28 out of 100 in his Class 10 mathematics paper.
Kharat, against whom 8 complaints of rape, sexual harassment and fraud and extortion have been filed in the last 10 days, was born Laxman Kharat in Kahandelwadi village in Nashik district. His early life was surrounded by controversy when it was alleged that he had sexually assaulted one of his relatives, resulting in his being ostracized from the village, a senior Nashik police officer said.
After his excommunication, Kharat moved to West Bengal and from there to Thailand. He worked as a sailor on some cargo ships and later called himself ‘Captain Kharat’. Investigators told HT that they found no records that suggested he was a ranked officer in the merchant navy, instead, they believe he may have worked as an unlicensed crew member on ships. Nevertheless, this tenure became an important part of his narrative in later life – a way to showcase his global exposure and enhance his authority.
When Kharat returned to Nashik in the mid-1990s, the city was in the midst of a commercial and real estate boom. Kharat established himself with a new name–Ashok Kumar–and a new profession. “He became an astrologer and numerologist who also performed small rituals. Among his major clients were people involved in complex real estate deals,” said a senior Nashik police officer.
What set Kharat apart was not any proven knowledge, but his methodology full of theatrics. Some rituals will be staged in a controlled environment at the Mahadev temple of Mirgaon located on his land. The lights would be switched off and customers would be asked to close their eyes while the room would echo with the sound of snakes hissing and Kharat would claim that Mahadev himself had accepted the customer’s prayer.
By the late 1900s, Kharat’s clientele expanded to include influential businessmen and politicians from all political parties. His services were no longer limited to simple consultation. He began to prescribe elaborate rituals that required repeated consultations and significant financial expenditure. “Their consulting fees can go up to ₹50 lakh,” said an SIT official. “He understood psychology very well,” said another senior police officer. “He knew when to reassure, when to create fear and when to demand money.”
Pune realtor Rajendra Asud, who filed the FIR against Kharat on Wednesday, told the SIT that a friend had introduced him to Kharat, and had assured him that the rituals of the god would help improve his business fortunes. Instead, what followed were years of financial ruin. “I was in touch with him since 2018 and spent a lot of time ₹4 to 5 crores,” the businessman told investigators. “Every time I wanted to escape from his hold on me, he would say that my life was in danger.”
The businessman alleged that apart from large cash transactions, he transferred ownership of a Mercedes car worth approx ₹Kharat got Rs 90 lakh. The relationship has gone beyond discussions, he said. Kharat reportedly insisted on foreign trips as part of the “treatment” and the two men traveled to ten foreign locations, including the US.
When the promised results were not achieved, Assoud tried to distance himself. “He told me that he had divine powers and if I did not obey him he could kill me,” she said in her FIR. It was only after Kharat’s arrest became public that Asud found the courage to approach the police.
Also read: Monday Reflections: Politics, Faith and the Comfort of Religious Leaders
If Assoud’s allegations point to extortionate behavior, the testimony of the female complainants highlights an even more disturbing predatory trend.
What started as a complaint has now expanded into a multi-layered investigation, with at least eight FIRs lodged against the self-styled godman between March 17 and March 26. Six of these are from women alleging rape and sexual abuse. One of these is from his former office employee who has accused Kharat of raping his pregnant wife.
The employee alleged that in March 2024, Kharat sexually harassed his seven-month pregnant wife when she went to him for guidance related to delivery. The assistant, who was waiting outside during the session, later conducted a sting operation when his wife told him about the attack. The clips recorded by him were handed over to the police, which began further investigation.
In another case registered on March 24, a Shirdi woman has alleged that Kharat raped her four times between July and December 2024. According to her complaint, she met Kharat for the first time in 2021 along with her parents to seek advice on building a house. She returned in 2024 to seek guidance from him about her career prospects.
She alleged that during one of these meetings, Kharat asked her parents to wait outside and then sexually assaulted her inside his chamber. She further claimed that he threatened her of dire consequences if she opened her mouth, and said that he could harm her family or even cause the death of her parents by using his “divine powers”.
The threats did not end here. The woman told the police that in December 2024, she received an obscene video clip involving Kharat and herself from an unknown number. When she spoke to Kharat, he dismissed the clip as an AI-generated video and advised her to file a complaint against the sender.
She told investigators that she found the courage to complain against Kharat after his arrest in another rape case filed on March 17, in which he was accused of raping a Nashik-based married woman for three years from November 2022 to 2025. To investigators, these accounts are not just individual allegations, but pieces of a larger puzzle. “The pattern is consistent – build trust, isolate the victim, use fear and then exploit them,” said an officer involved in the investigation. “In many cases, victims were hesitant to come forward because they lacked confidence in his powers or feared repercussions.” The SIT is also investigating several videos of sexual harassment involving Kharat and various women, and is encouraging victims to come forward to complain without any fear.
Police believe this fear is heightened due to Kharat’s alleged closeness to influential persons, including politicians from all parties.
Earlier this week, NCP leader and former chairperson of the State Women’s Rights Commission Rupali Chakankar was asked to resign due to her closeness to Kharat and her trust. Others who know the self-styled godman are Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Higher Education Minister and BJP leader Chandrakant Patil and Shiv Sena MLA Deepak Kesarkar.
Although there is no evidence so far to suggest wrongdoing by these political figures, Kharat’s closeness to them adds another layer to the unfolding story – highlighting how deeply he has embedded himself in their sphere of influence.
In 2009, Kharat purchased land in Mirgaon outside Nashik which became his center of operations. He built a Shiva temple there and over time acquired 30 acres of land around it and built a farmhouse where his influential clients could come and meet him.
“He never really interacted much with the villagers. He used to come on weekends. His visitors were mostly outsiders – rich customers, people with expensive cars and sometimes politicians,” said Sunil Hinje, a former deputy sarpanch who is leaving the post in 2026.
reversal
If Ashok Kharat’s story is about how a man created an aura around himself, it is also about how a carefully constructed building began to crack.
A sitting MLA, on condition of anonymity, admitted that he had taken advice from Kharat in the past. “I had met him several times and sought advice about my political future,” the Shiv Sena MLA said. “But I had no knowledge about these allegations. If I had known about them, I would never have gone to him.”
Manikrao Kokate, a former minister and NCP MLA from Sinnar, under which Kharat’s Mirgaon village falls, is more direct, suggesting that Kharat’s ability to function for years points to a larger systemic failure. “He could not have continued like this without the support or protection of some officers and police personnel.”
So how did Kharat manage to maintain and expand its operations for more than two decades without serious scrutiny? Part of the answer lies in the complex interplay of trust, influence, and institutional dysfunction. He had a temple and farmhouse at Mirgaon where businessmen, professionals and politicians met – often away from public view. This created an ecosystem where their legitimacy continued to strengthen.
The absence of initial complaints – or the failure to act on them – made the situation worse. This happened only when political monopoly increased in Mumbai, Kharat’s empire – projected by Nashik Police ₹The mystery of Rs 1000 crore started being solved.
However, Kharat’s wife Kalpana had told HT on March 19 when the first rape case was registered, that the allegations of sexual abuse against him were baseless. “The allegations leveled against my husband are false. He was not a professional astrologer. He took it up only as a hobby.”
As the SIT continues its investigation, officials are focusing on multiple fronts – verifying financial transactions, analyzing digital evidence, mapping Kharat’s network of associates and identifying potential supporters. Each new complaint adds another layer, suggesting the full extent of The case may still be open.
Addressing the state assembly on March 23, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis appealed to the people to come forward and lodge complaints against Kharat. “The matter is being monitored at the highest level and I assure everyone that Kharat or any other person involved in this case will not be spared.”
The story of reinvention and networks built on trust, fear and the abuse of power may finally be nearing an end.
