‘Your husband will die’: How Nashik astrologer ‘Captain’ used worry to rape, blackmail lady; pistol, 58 movies discovered | Nashik Information

NASHIK: A retired Service provider Navy officer who labored as an astrologer was remanded in police custody until March 24 by a Nashik court docket on Thursday, a day after his arrest for allegedly repeatedly raping a lady over greater than three years.The accused, Ashok Kumar Kharat (67), popularly often known as “captain”, was arrested by the Nashik metropolis police on Wednesday following a grievance by a lady who accused him of sexually assaulting her between 2022 and December 2025. He was taken into custody from his residence early within the morning and later produced earlier than a court docket, which despatched him to police custody.A case has been registered at Sarkarwada police station beneath sections 64 (punishment for rape) and 74 (assault or legal drive with intent to outrage a lady’s modesty) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, together with provisions of the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and different Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013. The investigation is being dealt with by the crime department.Police stated Kharat, who can be the chairman of Shree Ishaneshwar Mahadev Temple Belief at Mirgaon in Sinnar taluka, allegedly exploited the complainant over a number of years. “The girl had first visited him in 2019 with a relative looking for steering on discovering an appropriate marriage associate, however as a result of Covid-19 pandemic, she couldn’t comply with up for a while. In 2022, after she discovered a wedding prospect, she approached him once more. The astrologer gave her a pendant and instructed her by no means to take away it. She, nevertheless, took it off whereas showing for an examination, and inside every week, her marriage proposal fell by. Along with her religion within the astrologer deepening, he satisfied her that he had ‘divine powers’ and compelled her into performing rituals. He then allegedly raped her for the primary time by giving her a concoction that brought on numbness, later threatening that she would by no means get married if she resisted,” the grievance said.Police added that even after the girl obtained married, Kharat allegedly continued to control her. “This continued until Dec 2025,” officers stated, citing the grievance, including that he threatened her that her husband would die if she didn’t comply together with his sexual calls for.Investigators stated they recovered some paperwork, a pistol and cartridges from his home in Mirgaon. Police additionally stated 58 movies, together with some objectionable clips, saved on a pen drive have been recovered from Kharat, as reported by information company PTI.The state authorities has constituted a Particular Investigation Crew (SIT) to probe the case. The SIT is headed by Tejaswi Satpute, commandant of the State Reserve Police Drive, Pune, who visited Nashik and interrogated the accused for over two hours on Thursday. In an order signed by Particular IG Manoj Kumar Sharma, the director normal of police’s workplace directed the SIT to conduct the investigation and submit common progress reviews. Satpute had additionally headed an SIT in a separate case involving the alleged suicide of a physician in Satara’s Phaltan final 12 months.A Nashik police officer stated the probe is being carried out by the crime department beneath the supervision of the SIT, with all related info being shared with the crew. Police have additionally searched the accused’s residence in Nashik metropolis and his farmhouse in Sinnar as a part of the investigation.Minister of state for dwelling Yogesh Kadam assured strict motion and urged extra victims to return ahead. “I attraction to all ladies who might have complaints in opposition to the ‘astrologer’ to return ahead. We’ll present them safety and guarantee stringent motion in opposition to the accused. The matter shouldn’t be politicised. All measures can be taken to make sure ladies’s security,” he stated. He added that authorities would additionally study whether or not the accused was selling superstition or participating in unlawful practices. “We have to verify whether or not he was providing astrological companies or spreading superstition. If any wrongdoing is discovered, that may even be investigated,” Kadam stated.The case has additionally triggered a political row. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Sushma Andhare alleged that a number of people within the authorities had hyperlinks with the accused, particularly elevating considerations about his affiliation with Maharashtra State Fee for Ladies chairperson Rupali Chakankar. Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chief Harshvardhan Sapkal stated Chakankar ought to have “resigned”.Former MP Sambhaji Raje Chhatrapati additionally demanded motion, saying, “It is a extremely delicate difficulty, and I’m stunned that Chakankar has not submitted her resignation but. CM Devendra Fadnavis ought to take strict motion in opposition to her and, if vital, take away her from the put up.”Chakankar, nevertheless, denied any data of the accused’s private life or the allegations. “No matter allegations have been made can be investigated impartially by the police. I’ve full religion within the investigation,” she stated in a social media put up. Efforts to contact her for additional remark remained unanswered until the time of going to press.(With PTI inputs)