The arrest of 67-year-old self-styled godman and numerologist Ashok Kharat, popularly known as ‘Captain’ due to his merchant navy background, has exposed a vast Rs 100-crore empire allegedly built on faith, fear and political connections.
Following allegations of sexual exploitation, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has launched a comprehensive probe into Kharat’s operations, which evolved from a modest astrology practice in the late 1990s into a high-end consultancy charging up to ₹50 lakh per visit.
After 22 years in the merchant navy, Kharat returned to his native village of Kahandalwadi in Sinnar tehsil of Maharashtra and began offering numerological advice.
Leveraging his communication skills and fluency in English, Hindi and Marathi, he gradually built a client base. Social workers in Sinnar told HT that he would approach residents seeking their names and dates of birth to provide readings.
His naval background gave him an edge over traditional practitioners, eventually helping him cultivate an exclusive clientele.
Over time, Kharat’s services became increasingly targeted towards wealthy clients, including politicians, realtors and businessmen, who sought private consultations at their homes or offices.
A senior Nashik police officer said, “We have learnt that his fees varied sharply. Wealthy clients who wanted him to visit their premises or conduct elaborate rituals, were charged as much as Rs 50 lakh.”
Investigators now estimate his wealth to exceed Rs 100 crore. Preliminary disclosures following his arrest point to land and residential holdings across Adgaon, Sinnar, Pathardi and Ozar in Nashik district, as well as significant investments in Shirdi. Authorities suspect further assets elsewhere in Maharashtra.
The case against Kharat emerged after a 27-year-old woman filed a complaint alleging repeated sexual exploitation between 2022 and 2025.
According to the FIR, she approached Kharat for help with marital issues. He allegedly used fear tactics, claiming his predictions indicated danger to her husband’s life, and administered sedative-laced drinks during the assaults.
He has been booked under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) for rape, along with provisions of the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act.
Police have recovered 58 videos from a pen drive, some described as objectionable. One video reportedly shows Kharat performing a ritual with a copper vessel on a woman’s head, followed by inappropriate conduct.
Kharat’s wife, Kalpana, denied the allegations, saying, “My husband was not a professional astrologer. Some close associates backstabbed him and tried to tarnish his image.”
