Mumbai, March 21 Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, who heads the ruling NCP, said on Saturday that she had forwarded the resignation of Rupali Chakankar, who stepped down as the chairperson of the Maharashtra State Commission for Women, to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for further action.
Chakankar had tendered her resignation on Friday after facing criticism from opposition parties over her association with the rape-accused "spiritual leader" Ashok Kharat.
Chakankar, who is also the NCP women's wing chief, submitted the resignation letter to Sunetra Pawar on Friday.
Prior to that, Chakankar met CM Fadnavis, who asked her to resign, sources said.
In a statement, Sunetra Pawar said Chakankar decided to step down in view of the prevailing situation and the ongoing investigation into the arrest of the self-proclaimed spiritual leader, Ashok Kharat.
"Chakankar has tendered her resignation considering the current circumstances and the ongoing investigation. To ensure that the investigation is conducted in a fair and transparent manner, I have forwarded her resignation to the Chief Minister for further process," Pawar said.
Chakankar had been appointed to the post on October 15, 2024.
Earlier this week, opposition leaders sought to corner the BJP-led government by highlighting Chakankar's links with the accused.
Kharat, who had several political leaders visit him over the years, was arrested in Nashik on Wednesday for allegedly repeatedly sexually assaulting a woman for three years.
Kharat, who claims to be a retired Merchant Navy officer and is known as "captain", was arrested on the basis of a complaint filed by the 35-year-old woman. The victim complained that he called her to his office claiming that his predictions pointed to “threats” to her husband’s life, gave her sedative-laced drinks, and raped her on multiple occasions between November 2022 and December 2025.