Mumbai, May 20 (IANS) A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Mumbai on Wednesday remanded self-styled godman Ashok Kharat to Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody till May 26 in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged extortion and financial fraud.

ED officials said Kharat was produced before the PMLA court in the city after the agency sought seven days of custodial interrogation to probe the alleged money trail and financial transactions linked to the case.

“The investigation into the money trail that has come to light needs to be conducted,” the ED said in its custody plea before the court.

According to the agency, Kharat allegedly posed as an incarnation of Lord Shiva and extorted more than Rs 5 crore from a complainant.

The ED alleged that the money was used for luxury spending, including the purchase of high-end vehicles, the acquisition of a farmhouse and foreign trips.

The agency told the court that Kharat allegedly spent Rs 5.62 crore on personal assets and tours.

Investigators further alleged that he purchased a Mercedes-Benz car in his own name using funds belonging to the complainant and took possession of the vehicle after the loan was fully repaid.

The ED also alleged that the complainant’s credit card had been used without authorisation. According to the probe agency, Kharat additionally extorted Rs 2.5 crore from the complainant in the name of a real estate investment.

“Investigation is underway to identify the purpose behind the transaction,” the ED said.

Officials informed the court that Kharat had opened around 60 bank accounts in which he was listed as beneficiary and nominee. “We want to identify the source of that cash,” the ED said while referring to large-scale cash transactions linked to the accounts.

The agency claimed that cash withdrawals amounting to Rs 23.87 crore had been detected during the investigation.

“The usage of this money is to be investigated,” the ED said.

The ED further alleged that similar methods of extortion had surfaced in other FIRs registered against Kharat. It also claimed that crores of rupees had been transacted in Kharat’s name through accounts in the Bank of Baroda.

The agency told the court that another individual, identified as Harshad, had also allegedly been cheated of crores of rupees by Kharat.

Further investigation into the case is underway.

Kharat used claims of “divine powers” and death threats against victims’ families to facilitate sexual exploitation, according to the Maharashtra Special Investigation Team, which is probing various allegations against him.

Evidence suggests the accused used sleight-of-hand tricks under the cover of darkness at the Ishaneshwar Temple complex to foster a false belief in his supernatural abilities.

The accused allegedly leveraged the religious sentiments of victims, using items like pebbles and rudraksha beads to extort money.

A total of 17 First Information Reports have been registered against Ashok Kharat across Nashik and Ahilyanagar (formerly Ahmednagar) districts in Maharashtra. The charges against Kharat include sexual assault, fraud, violations of anti-superstition laws, and money laundering.

–IANS

snj/skp