Nashik, April 1 A court in Nashik, Maharashtra, remanded self-proclaimed godman Ashok Kharat, who is accused of rape, into 14-day judicial custody on Wednesday.
Kharat was arrested on March 18 after a 35-year-old woman accused him of repeated rape over a period of three years. Following his arrest, multiple rape complaints were filed against him.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is investigating Kharat.
After his police custody ended on Wednesday, he was produced before the court. During the hearing, the SIT sought his judicial custody.
Accordingly, Sessions Judge B N Ichpurani remanded Kharat in judicial custody until April 14. He will be sent to Nashik Road Central Jail.
Kharat is scheduled to appear in court in another case on Thursday.
At least 10 FIRs, eight for alleged sexual assault or exploitation and two for cheating, have been registered against Kharat at the Sarkarwada police station in Nashik, while the SIT has received more than 100 complaints against him via phone.
On Wednesday, an SIT team detained Kharat's son, Harshvardhan, from their residence in Karmayogi Nagar here for questioning. He was released later that night.
The investigators are also trying to locate Kharat's wife, Kalpana, in connection with the investigation against her husband. She is also implicated in a cheating case in the Ahilyanagar district.
"Godman" Kharat heads a temple trust at Sinnar in Nashik and has been visited by several political leaders over the years.
Last week, the SIT, along with a forensic science team, visited Kharat's office in Nashik, from where they recovered several documents, files, and other evidence.
Notably, a 20-foot remote-controlled mechanical snake was also seized from his office. Kharat allegedly used the snake to make his visitors believe that he could control a live snake, thus possessing supernatural powers.