The Mumbai zonal office of the directorate of enforcement
(ED) has filed a prosecution complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against self-styled godman Ashokkumar Eknath Kharat alias Captain
alias bondu babain, his wife Kalpana Kharat and four others. The agency also attached fresh immovable properties worth ₹19.20 crore in the case involving alleged extortion, cheating and money laundering through religious fraud.
The prosecution complaint was filed on 17 July 2026 before the Special PMLA Court in Mumbai against six accused, including Mr Kharat and his wife, for the offence of money laundering under Section 3, punishable under Section 4 of the PMLA.
The latest attachment of immovable properties worth ₹19.20 crore was carried out on 15 July 2026 under Section 5 of the PMLA. ED said this is in addition to assets worth ₹17.70 crore that were seized or frozen during searches conducted in April and May 2026 at multiple premises, bank lockers and vehicles linked to the accused and his associates.
With the latest action, the total value of assets attached, seized or frozen in the case has reached about ₹36.90 crore.
The money laundering investigation was initiated based on multiple first information reports (FIRs) registered by the Sarkar Wada, Shirdi, Sinnar, and Rahata police stations in Maharashtra.
According to ED, its investigation revealed that Mr Kharat exploited the religious faith of devotees by falsely claiming to possess divine powers and portraying himself as an incarnation of Lord Shiva. The agency alleged that he dishonestly induced followers to part with money, jewellery and properties by promising to perform 'avatar poojas', cure illnesses, avert misfortune and ensure business prosperity.
ED alleged that the proceeds generated through extortion, cheating and criminal intimidation were subsequently laundered through a network of cooperative credit societies, multiple bank accounts and benami accounts.
According to the agency, Mr Kharat, in connivance with an employee of two cooperative credit societies, fraudulently operated multiple accounts used to deposit large amounts of cash, create fixed deposits, and later withdraw maturity proceeds. The laundered money was allegedly retained by trusted associates or invested in immovable properties across Nashik, Ahmednagar, Solapur, Pune and Mumbai in the names of his family members.
During searches conducted between April and May this year, the agency seized cash amounting to ₹13.92 crore, foreign currency valued at about ₹5.11 lakh, and gold and silver jewellery valued at around ₹1.12 crore, and froze bank balances of ₹2.25 crore. A luxury Mercedes-Benz vehicle was also seized along with several incriminating documents, digital devices and property records.
According to ED's earlier findings, Mr Kharat allegedly ran a systematic extortion racket by exploiting people's religious beliefs and fears through staged rituals, claims of supernatural powers and threats involving black magic and death.
In one of the complaints being investigated, the agency alleged that a victim was coerced into spending about ₹5.62 crore on the purchase of a luxury Mercedes car, foreign trips, medical treatment in the US, and the development of farmhouse properties at Mr Kharat's instance.
The predicate offences include cases registered under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and Other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act.
Further investigation into the case is in progress, the agency says.
Karnataka Antibiotics & Pharmaceuticals MD Arrested by CBI While Allegedly Accepting ₹5 Lakh Bribe
Moneylife Digital Team
16 July 2026
The central bureau of investigation (CBI) has arrested the managing director (MD) of Karnataka Antibiotics and Pharmaceuticals Ltd (KAPL), a Central public sector enterprise (CPSE), after allegedly catching him accepting a bribe of ₹5...
₹47.37 Crore UCO Bank Fraud: CBI Searches in 4 States in Fraud Linked to Jupiter Bio Sciences
Moneylife Digital Team
16 July 2026
The central bureau of investigation (CBI) has conducted coordinated searches across Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana and Tamil Nadu in connection with an alleged bank fraud of ₹47.37 crore involving Hyderabad-based Jupiter Bio...
Builder-bank Nexus: CBI Charge-sheets Saha Infratech, Directors, Bank Officials in Noida Home-buyers Fraud Case
Moneylife Digital Team
15 July 2026
The central bureau of investigation (CBI) has filed its 16th charge-sheet in the ongoing investigation into alleged large-scale cheating of home-buyers, naming Noida-based builder and developer Saha Infratech Pvt Ltd, the company...
ATC Coin Investment Fraud: ED Attaches ₹55.5 Crore Assets of Jewrias from Mumbai
Moneylife Digital Team
14 July 2026
The directorate of enforcement (ED) has provisionally attached assets worth ₹55.50 crore in connection with an alleged cryptocurrency investment fraud involving the self-created digital token 'ATC Coin', accusing the promoters of...
