Mumbai, April 6 Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad on Monday termed the circulation of videos of women victims in the Ashok Kharat case as "extremely serious" and questioned how call detail records (CDR) related to the arrested self-proclaimed godman reached a private individual.
Speaking to reporters here, the Mumbai Congress president said the case has brought "shame to Maharashtra" and raised concerns over women's safety in the state. Kharat was arrested for rape on March 18. A subsequent investigation has revealed alleged sexual assault on several women, as well as large-scale financial irregularities and land fraud.
She said it cannot be ruled out that local police were involved and asked why no action has been taken against those responsible for making the alleged videos public.
Gaikwad claimed that Kharat, under the guise of superstition, sexually exploited hundreds of women over several years.
She questioned how the local police and the state intelligence machinery failed to detect such activities.
She also sought to know what action the state government had taken over the years, even as it now claims to have exposed the case, and asked why the Home Department had no prior information.
"The case may involve links between Kharat and some political leaders and ministers. There must be an inquiry into such connections," Gaikwad added.
Raising concerns over the alleged leak of call detail records, she said, "How did a private person access the CDR, and why were only select names disclosed?"
Alleging possible political motives, Gaikwad said there must be a probe into the leak.
Activist Anjali Damania had claimed that she got Kharat's CDR from an unknown individual through WhatsApp.