The arrest of 67-year-old self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, popularly known as 'Captain,' has pulled back the curtain on a sprawling ₹100-crore empire built on faith, fear, and political patronage.
After allegations of sexual exploitation emerged, Kharat's rise from a modest astrology practice in the late 1990s to a consultant charging up to ₹50 lakh per visit is now at the heart of a comprehensive probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Kharat's business model shifted towards the elite, catering to wealthy clients, including politicians, realtors, and businessmen, who sought private consultations at their own offices or homes to maintain discretion.
Investigators are now estimating Kharat's wealth to be in excess of ₹100 crore, with identified investments including land parcels and residential properties across Nashik district, as well as significant holdings in Shirdi.
The empire began to crumble when Nashik police arrested Kharat following a complaint by a 27-year-old woman, who alleged that she was repeatedly sexually exploited by Kharat from 2022 to 2025.
Police have recovered 58 videos from a pen drive, some of which are described as objectionable, and Kharat has been booked under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) for rape and the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act.
