Mumbai, April 3 Ashok Kharat, who calls himself a religious figure and is facing rape charges, opened over 130 accounts in two cooperative credit societies in Maharashtra under different names and conducted transactions worth nearly Rs 63 crore in the past few years, a police official said.
According to sources, one of the accounts was opened in the name of the sister of Rupali Chakankar, who was the former chairperson of the Maharashtra State Women's Commission. She resigned from the post last month after his arrest in Nashik, following which his alleged connections with Kharat came to light.
These details emerged during an investigation being conducted by the police in Ahilyanagar district in a cheating case registered against Kharat, his wife Kalpana, and three others, the official said on Thursday.
The case involves the Kharat couple, residents of Nashik district, allegedly trying to acquire four acres of land in the temple town of Shirdi by giving a loan of Rs 5.52 crore to the owner.
The Shirdi police have arrested two middlemen in the case and are searching for Kalpana and one more person.
To prevent Kalpana from fleeing the country, the police have issued a Lookout Notice against her, said Somnath Gharge, Superintendent of Police (SP), Ahilyanagar.
Immigration officials at designated airports, seaports, and land borders have been alerted about the case, he said.
While investigating the cheating case registered at Shirdi, the police found that Kharat had opened more than 130 accounts in two cooperative credit societies (financial entities providing loans, savings, and banking services) in the name of different people in Ahilyanagar district, Gharge informed.
All these accounts had recorded heavy transaction volume in the last couple of years. In one of the credit societies, there were transactions of over Rs 60 crore and in the other, the police have so far found transactions of more than Rs 2.74 crore, according to the SP.
The nominee for all the accounts was Kharat, a former merchant navy officer, and his mobile number was listed as the contact for each, Gharge said.
During the investigation, it was found that Kharat, who also claimed to be an astrologer, was operating all these accounts and depositing money, which he received from people visiting him for consultation, another official said.
In view of these revelations, the Enforcement Directorate, which probes money laundering cases, is likely to enter the inquiry scene, the second official said.
At least 10 FIRs – eight for alleged sexual assault or exploitation of women and two for cheating – have been registered against Kharat, who is being probed by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the state government.
The rape accused "godman" is in the SIT custody till April 8.
