Nashik, March 29 A court in Nashik on Sunday extended the police custody of self-proclaimed spiritual leader Ashok Kharat, arrested in a rape case, until April 1.
Kharat, who headed a temple trust in Mirgaon in Nashik district, and whom several prominent Maharashtra politicians had visited over the years, was arrested on March 18 after a woman accused him of repeatedly raping her over three years.
Ten FIRs, eight for alleged sexual assault or exploitation, and two for cheating, have so far been registered against him at the Sarkarwada police station in the city.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is conducting an investigation against him, has received more than 100 complaints, mostly from women, via phone in the last few days, police said on Saturday.
Kharat was produced before the court on Sunday after the end of his previous police custody.
The court asked Kharat whether he had any complaints, to which he replied negatively.
During the hearing, public prosecutor Shailendra Bagde said the investigation in the case was still ongoing, and the accused was not cooperating.
The investigation into the accused's properties is still pending. Many women are still coming forward to lodge complaints, and the investigation into the "liquid" or substance that Kharat allegedly gave to the victims to seduce them before sexually exploiting them has not yet been completed, he said.
The accused's mobile phone data has been scanned, and a clone report has been received. An investigation is to be conducted to determine whether he saved the names of his contacts, especially political leaders, with dummy identities, and many digital evidences are yet to be checked, the prosecutor told the court.
The case is complex, and other individuals need to be brought before the court for the investigation. Investigators have also yet to determine whether any accomplices were involved in the crime. For all this, Kharat's three-day custody is needed, he said.
The SIT submitted Kharat's laptops, mobile phone, and some documents to the court.
SIT officer Kirankumar Suryavanshi also informed the court about the investigation done so far and demanded an extension of Kharat's police custody.
Defence lawyer Sachin Bhate, however, said the SIT was giving the same reasons that had been cited for police custody during the earlier hearing.
"What has the SIT done in the investigation to date?" he asked, claiming that the probe has been completed and there is no reason to extend the police custody.
On the other side, lawyer M Y Kale, representing a victim, supported the prosecutor's demand for an extension of Kharat's police custody.
"The accused has not cooperated, and the investigating agency cannot be held responsible for it," he said.
"These allegations and crimes are very serious and harmful to society. They have the potential to devastate families and impact society at large. Therefore, considering the complexity of the allegations, the demand for the police custody should be considered," Kale said in his argument.
After hearing the arguments, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (14th) MV Bharade extended Kharat's police custody until April 1.
