Nashik/Mumbai, April 5 Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday assured an investigation into the alleged leak of call data records in the case of the self-proclaimed godman Ashok Kharat and an investigation into his assets by the Enforcement Directorate.
No one has the right to obtain such call data records, Fadnavis said amid a furore after activist Anjali Damania on Friday made revelations about calls purportedly exchanged between Kharat and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who heads Shiv Sena.
The self-proclaimed godman-cum-astrologer was arrested in March after a married woman accused him of repeatedly raping her over three years. A total of eight FIRs have been registered against him so far.
A subsequent probe uncovered a host of crimes, including sexual assault and financial irregularities linked to land and other properties.
After his arrest, photos of Kharat with prominent Maharashtra politicians, including Shinde and NCP leader Rupali Chakankar, went viral. Shinde, then Maharashtra Chief Minister, had visited Kharat's temple in 2022.
"The leak of call data records (CDR) in the Ashok Kharat case will be probed, and strict action will be taken. No one has the right to access call data records (CDRs); only authorised agencies may do so. How this data was leaked and by whom will be investigated by the state government," Fadnavis said in Nashik.
He said mere allegations are not sufficient in sensitive cases, adding that action will be taken based on solid evidence.
Fadnavis also said the Enforcement Directorate will investigate the antecedents of Kharat's assets.
The ED has taken cognisance of the matter and has begun action, he told reporters.
"All accounts of Kharat have come to our notice, and the transactions through them have been identified. It is my firm belief that all illegal assets and wrongdoing will be exposed," he asserted.
The CDR controversy raged after activist Damania claimed to have received Kharat's CDR (Call Detail Records) on WhatsApp from an unknown number.
"There were 17 calls between Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde and Ashok Kharat," Damania had said without specifying the period, adding that the longest conversation lasted for 21 minutes.
Citing the “CDR”, she claimed that Kharat had spoken on the phone for the longest duration, after his wife, with Chakankar. There were as many as 177 calls between Chakankar and Kharat, spread over 33,727 seconds, Damania said.
She had also claimed eight calls each were exchanged between Kharat and BJP leader Chandrakant Patil, and NCP leader Sunil Tatkare. There was also a call between Kharat and BJP minister Ashish Shelar.
Meanwhile, the opposition NCP (SP) has demanded a fair probe into the alleged CDR leak and surfacing of related video clips.
"If CDRs or video clips are deliberately circulated, it raises serious questions about intent and legality. The emergence of these CDRs has created widespread suspicion. If someone has knowingly distributed this material, authorities must probe it and make the findings public," state NCP (SP) president Shashikant Shinde told reporters.
He urged the state government and police to clarify how such recordings were obtained and whether any individual was targeted.
Shinde stressed that if a particular person or political party is unfairly targeted, it must be examined within the framework of democratic norms.
"The issue of CDR leaks is not merely a political controversy but also a matter of public trust and legal propriety," he added.
Shinde reiterated that NCP (SP) will not contest the Baramati assembly bypoll as a mark of respect for late Ajit Pawar, while his party will consult other MVA allies to contest the Rahuri bypoll.
