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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.’

The friendship files

Updated: Mar 21, 2025

Love for gym and films brought Morea, Pancholi, Aaditya together

Morea, Pancholi, Aaditya

Mumbai: Otherwise poles apart, the trio – Aaditya Thackeray, Dino Morea and Sooraj Pancholi – have two things in common, passion for gym and cinema. This passion brought them together and created a strong bonding among them.


Aaditya has always enjoyed the company of film stars since many of them used to visit his grandfather the late Balasaheb Thackeray at their Bandra residence, Matoshree. Aaditya developed friendship with Morea during one of such meetings when he was a teenager. The friendship grew over the years irrespective of 20 years of gap in their age.


In 2016, when Morea opened an open-air gym in Marine Drive, Aaditya was the one who had inaugurated it along with actor Jacqueline Fernandez. Several pics of the duo posing together dating back to 2014 can also be found online. Aaditya is reportedly a regular visitor at Morea’s house in Bandra on almost each of his private celebrations.


Their friendship is in spotlight again since Satish Salian, the father of deceased Disha Salian, has named them as prime accused in her death case in a petition filed in the Bombay High Court on Wednesday. Salian has demanded that the trio should be probed for their role in his daughter’s “gang-rape and murder”.


The names of Morea, Pancholi and Aaditya began doing the rounds on various social media platforms right after Disha Salian’s death on June 8, 2020. In hush hush tones, their friendship became the talk of the town. People started adding two and two together. Salian used to work as an executive with a company which managed Rajput’s Public Relations. Salian and Rajput had a professional connection and Morea, Pancholi and Aaditya had a personal connection.


Salian has alleged that the trio has attended a ‘party’ at Disha’s Malad house where she died under mysterious circumstances. Salian believes that the trio are eye witnesses to what happened on that fateful night and there should be a thorough investigation into their role in covering up Disha’s “murder” as a “suicide”.


When asked about his friendship with Morea and Aaditya, Pancholi had told a TV news channel in 2020, “Dino is a friend of mine, whom I meet at the gym sometimes. It has been a long time since I have met him. Aaditya Thackeray sir, I have no connection with. I have never interacted with him.” Sooraj’s ex-girlfriend Jiah Khan had committed suicide in 2013,

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