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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Bank accounts, realty deals under SIT lens

Mumbai: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing self-styled godman Ashok Kharat has widened its investigation, turning the spotlight on his financial empire with a detailed scrutiny of bank accounts held by him, his family and close associates. Investigators have so far identified five bank accounts linked to Kharat across major lenders: State Bank of India, Union Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Saraswat Bank and Vishwas Cooperative Bank. These accounts hold deposits totalling Rs 40.87 crore...

Bank accounts, realty deals under SIT lens

Mumbai: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing self-styled godman Ashok Kharat has widened its investigation, turning the spotlight on his financial empire with a detailed scrutiny of bank accounts held by him, his family and close associates. Investigators have so far identified five bank accounts linked to Kharat across major lenders: State Bank of India, Union Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Saraswat Bank and Vishwas Cooperative Bank. These accounts hold deposits totalling Rs 40.87 crore and are now under the scanner to trace sources, transaction trails and possible beneficiaries. Sleuths suspect that the accounts may reveal financial links to a web of property deals, investments and other transactions — both legitimate and dubious — and the SIT is now examining possible offences such as tax evasion and money laundering. Earlier this week, the SIT informed a Nashik court that raids carried out at Kharat’s office, farmhouse and other premises led to the seizure of Rs 6.53 lakh in cash, two laptops, multiple mobile phones, a DVR system, hidden cameras, and gold ornaments — 20 tolas from his wife and 12 tolas in his name. Simultaneously, Kharat’s chartered accountants, Prashant Palde and Kiran Kataria, told investigators that the accused had travelled extensively abroad in recent years, visiting countries including the United States, France, Australia, UAE, Peru, Malaysia, Indonesia and more. The SIT has also approached the Inspector General of Stamps, Pune, to help detect additional properties linked to Kharat and his network. Realty Investments So far, the investigators have uncovered a sprawling portfolio of realty investments comprising agriculture, commercial, bungalows, flats, etc., spread in Nashik, Pune, Ahilyanagar and even Raigad, standing in the names of Kharat or his family or certain business associates. They include: 33 acres of land and a farmhouse (Mirgaon); 10 acres of land (Pathardi village); 6 acres (Sinnar); 4.5 acres in own name and 5.5 acres (Shirdi and Kakadi); an 800-sq.ft flat and a bungalow in Karmayogi Nagar (Nashik); plots totalling 12 gunthas (around 12,000 feet in Ojhar); 6 gunthas (Adgaon, Nashik); 11 gunthas in daughter Shrusti’s name and a plot (Sangamner and Pune); a 180 sq.ft office at Canada Corner (Nashik); a marriage hall in partnership with others (Shirdi); 6 acres as a joint partner with five others (Sinnar). Public Prosecutor Ajay Missar told the court that the SIT is probing whether more undisclosed assets exist, while also examining if questionable transactions led to losses to the public exchequer. Authorities are coordinating with the Income Tax Department as part of the financial probe. One transaction under the radar involves a two-hectare agricultural plot in Mirgaon, donated to Kharat’s Shri Shivnika Sansthan Trust by a Mumbai-based devotee. The land was reportedly purchased in May 2019 for Rs 24 lakh and transferred to the trust almost immediately through a gift deed. However, the same gift deed document pegged the land’s market value at Rs 32 lakh — a shocking jump of Rs 8 lakh within hours — raising red flags over possible irregularities or manipulation in valuation, with likely connivance of officials. The Shri Ishaneshwar Temple on the land was constructed in 2009–2010, allegedly using public contributions, as claimed by several political leaders.   Fear of ‘Elimination’ Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve has raised concerns, alleging that those exposed in the recovered videos could attempt to eliminate the godman — currently in police custody. Danve claimed that as more explicit material surfaces, individuals implicated in the videos may ‘join hands to silence him through an extra-judicial killing to prevent further revelations.’

Rattled, Thackeray says ‘do not rely on lies’

Updated: Mar 21, 2025

Thackeray

Mumbai: Shaken by the sudden spotlight on the Disha S. Salian death case, Shiv Sena (UBT) President and ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aditya Thackeray appeared at a loss for words to react to the development, but said ‘lies’ should not be relied upon.


In a relief of sorts, a ruling ally Shiv Sena MLA came out in open support of the beleaguered Thackerays and the ex-CM expressed his gratitude.


The five-year-old incident concerning the unexplained death of Bollywood celeb manager Disha rocked the Maharashtra Legislature afresh with the ruling MahaYuti and Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi allies hurling accusations at each other.


“There is no substance in these allegations… The matter is in the court…let them say it there,” dared Thackeray, who served as the MVA CM from November 2019-June 2022 when the case had blown up.


“I am confident that the case would boomerang on them in the court,” Thackeray declared dismissively, with Aditya beside him.


Thackeray wondered “why the issue keeps cropping up only during the Legislature sessions”, and said there is nothing new in this.


“Every time the Legislature comes into session, this matter is raised… Why did it not come in the past couple of sessions… I am surprised. It keeps coming up but there is nothing new to it. Whatever Satish Salian’s lawyer claims, he should say it in the court,” said Thackeray sharply.


“Many generations of our family are in front of the public. We have no connection with this case at all. But if politics is being twisted and taken in the wrong direction, everyone will suffer. When you rely on lies, it will also backfire on you,” warned Thackeray.


During a brief interaction with the media earlier in the day, Aditya Thackeray said that “since the matter has gone to the court, I shall also submit whatever I have to say before the court”.


“For the past five years they have been trying to defame me. But they were exposed on all counts… Now, the matter has gone in the court… I will respond there,” said Aaditya, a former minister in the MVA regime.


“It is clear… The Aurangzeb issue has backfired on them… To come out of it, the Disha Salian issue has been raked up now… There is some kind of ‘power’ working behind the petitioner,” contended SS (UBT) Chief Spokesperson and MP Sanjay Raut.


Training guns on the Mahayuti government, Thackeray said that who is responsible for the farmers’ pyres burning continuously (suicides), and their families, women, daughters and sisters are suffering.


There have been many killings like that of Beed Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, his children are also demanding justice, asking: “What is the government doing to stop all this?”


Against the badgering from the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, a ruling Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad threw his weight behind the Thackeray father-son duo and Uddhav even thanked him publicly for the gesture.


Sparking a sensation, Satish Salian has filed a plea in the Bombay High Court on Monday, seeking a fresh CBI probe into the death of his daughter, Disha, 28, who died under mystery circumstances in Malad on June 8, 2020.


Five days later, on June 14, one of her celeb clients, Sushant Singh Rajput was found hanging at his Bandra rented home.


Salians were initially ‘satisfied’ with cops

It may be recalled that a few years ago, the Salian couple had said that they were satisfied with the police and other agencies’ probe plus pleaded publicly that the media and politicians should stop hounding or defaming their family. In March 2022, Satish and his wife Vasanti had written to the President of India, complaining that the (then) Union Minister Narayan Rane and his son Nitesh Rane (now, Maharashtra Minister), are ‘liars and virtually driving them (the Salians) to suicide”.


Drawing parallels with the Nirbhaya rape-cum-murder case of Delhi over a decade ago, the Salians pointed out that till now, that victim’s identity has not been revealed, but “Rane is blatantly taking my daughter’s name” repeatedly and saying that she was raped. Displaying signs of desperation, the Salians asked “whether the law of the land is not applicable to the Union Minister”, and pointed out how even after registering a (police) complaint against them, the “liars” Rane duo did not stop maligning the family’s name.


The Salians had made the same appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, (then) Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, BJP’s (then) Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis and Bombay High Court Chief Justice, “to stop a few politicians from maligning our daughter’s name”.

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