Kharat case: SIT pulls down 4,650 links, 450 social media accounts

Nashik: The special investigation team, which is probing the cases against Nashik astrologer Ashok Kharat, has so far deleted 4,650 online links containing objectionable videos of rape survivors, said its chief, Tejaswi Satpute, on Tuesday.

At her first media briefing since the SIT took over the probe on March 20, she said, "Another 450 social media accounts where such objectionable videos and content was found to be repeatedly posted have been permanently deleted." She said six persons have been arrested over such videos.





Satpute was tight-lipped on the findings of the probe. "There are limitations on how much we can disclose till we file chargesheets in all the cases," she said.

The SIT has so far recorded the statements of 30 witnesses, including the victims'. Satpute said the statements indicate how Kharat took advantage of people, who believed in his "divine abilities", sexually exploited women and spread superstition.

On why political functionaries, govt officials and others associated with Kharat were not being called for questioning, she said, "We are probing if there were others who helped Kharat create the ecosystem that facilitated his activities." —Santosh Sonawane