Viral Video Link Traps of ‘Ashok Kharat’, ’19 Minute 34 Second’, ‘Smriti Jain’, and ‘The Pinay Gold Medalist’: Fact vs. Fiction

In Maharashtra’s Nashik, an influential astrologer, identified as Ashok Kharat, has been arrested for repeatedly raping a 35-year-old woman under the guise of spirituality, police said. Ashok Kharat has been remanded in police custody till March 24 by a Nashik court, a day after his arrest for allegedly repeatedly raping a woman for over three years. Police said at least 58 videos, including some objectionable clips, stored on a pen drive have been found in Ashok Kharat’s possession, reports news agency PTI. The Opposition has dubbed the incident as Maharashtra’s ‘Epstein Files’.

Like the Epstein files, there are allegedly 58 videos of assault recorded by Ashok Kharat, as per the Opposition.

“All this is like Jeffrey Epstein files. In fact, it is more horrifying than that. I have got a few videos. I believe there are some people from BJP and the ruling alliance. If the police has extracted 56 such clips from his phone, then the Maharashtra government will fall,” UBT Sena MP Sanjay Raut said.

Ashok Karat viral video

Popularly known as “captain”, Ashok Kumar Kharat was arrested by the Nashik Police after a woman filed a complaint accusing him of sexually assaulting her between 2022 and December 2025, reports Times of India. Police said Ashok Kharat, who is also the chairman of Shree Ishaneshwar Mahadev Temple Trust at Mirgaon in Sinnar taluka, allegedly exploited the complainant over several years.

“The woman had first visited him in 2019 with a relative seeking guidance on finding a suitable marriage partner, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, she could not follow up for some time. In 2022, after she found a marriage prospect, she approached him again. The astrologer gave her a pendant and instructed her never to remove it. She, however, took it off while appearing for an exam, and within a week, her marriage proposal fell through.

With her faith in the astrologer deepening, he convinced her that he had ‘divine powers’ and forced her into performing rituals. He then allegedly raped her for the first time by giving her a concoction that caused numbness, later threatening that she would never get married if she resisted,” the complaint stated.

Police said that even after the woman got married, Kharat allegedly continued to manipulate and exploit her. The harassment reportedly went on till December 2025, officials said, citing the complaint, adding that he allegedly threatened her that her husband would die if she refused to meet his sexual demands.

Investigators further revealed that a search of his residence in Mirgaon led to the recovery of certain documents, along with a pistol and cartridges.

Ashok Kharat exploited multiple women

Police investigations have revealed that the alleged sexual exploitation extended beyond a single victim, pointing to a wider pattern of abuse, reports NDTV. According to the FIR, Kharat-who referred to himself as “Captain” due to his background as a retired Merchant Navy officer-allegedly lured women to his office by promising to resolve their personal problems. Once there, he is accused of administering intoxicants and manipulating them.

Investigators said he would then sexually assault the women, allegedly using intimidation tactics, including threats of harm to their husbands and invoking fear linked to occult practices.

In Mirgaon, Kharat owns the Ishanyeshwar Temple and a luxury retreat, which reportedly attracted visits from prominent and influential individuals. As chairman of the Shri Ishanyeshwar Temple Trust in Nashik’s Sinnar, he was widely known as a spiritual figure among politicians, celebrities, and business leaders.