Mumbai, April 4 The Maharashtra Congress said on Saturday that sensitive information related to the arrested self-proclaimed godman, Ashok Kharat, was being leaked, and asked if the Mahayuti government was using state machinery to settle personal scores.
Kharat was arrested on March 18 for allegedly raping a woman for three years, with subsequent investigations uncovering a range of crimes, including sexual assault and financial irregularities. A total of eight FIRs have been registered against him so far.
In a statement, Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant claimed that the names of several leaders from the ruling Mahayuti had surfaced in the case.
Recent developments involving Call Detail Records (CDR) appeared to substantiate earlier claims, he added.
He questioned how such crucial and confidential evidence, which is part of an ongoing investigation, was entering the public domain.
"Is this a case of negligence by investigative agencies, or are they being misused to selectively leak information for settling scores?" he asked.
Calling the issue "extremely serious," he said the alleged involvement or failure of agencies in preventing such leaks was "unfortunate" and undermined public trust.
He also referred to earlier instances in the case where videos involving women had gone viral, claiming they were linked to the investigation and had caused significant distress to those involved.
Demanding accountability, Sawant said the lives and families of several people had been adversely affected and described the situation as "deeply unfortunate" for the state.
Sawant questioned whether the leaks were a result of "sheer negligence" by investigative agencies or a "deliberate strategy" by the ruling parties.
"Is the Mahayuti using state machinery to settle personal scores through selective leaks? This is a very serious trend. The role of the investigative agencies in this mess is deeply concerning and unfortunate for Maharashtra," he asserted.
"Earlier, videos of women, which were part of the probe, went viral, destroying lives and families. Who will take responsibility for this?" Sawant asked.
Activist Anjali Damania on Friday alleged that at least 17 calls were exchanged between Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the rape-accused godman, Ashok Kharat, during an unspecified period in the past.
Some BJP and NCP leaders had also spoken to the self-proclaimed godman on the phone, she told a Marathi news channel.
Damania claimed that she received Kharat's CDR (Call Detail Records) on WhatsApp from an unknown number.