Mumbai, July 17, 2026: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a prosecution complaint (PC), running to more than 3,000 pages, before a Special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court against self-styled godman Ashokkumar Eknath Kharat alias Captain Bondhu Baba, his wife Kalpana Kharat and four others in connection with an alleged Rs 42.88 crore money laundering case linked to extortion, fraud and cheating.
The prosecution complaint is backed by statements of 37 witnesses, five annexures relating to the provisional attachment of properties, and voluminous documentary evidence. The Special PMLA court is expected to take formal cognisance of the complaint in the coming days.
Alleged Fraud Through Religious Claims
According to the complaint, Kharat allegedly orchestrated a years-long scheme to exploit the religious faith and emotional vulnerability of devotees by falsely projecting himself as an incarnation of Lord Shiva with supernatural powers. The ED alleged that he lured followers into spending large sums on "Avatar Poojas" by claiming he could predict or avert misfortune and promising relief from illnesses, business losses and personal setbacks. Investigators claimed he particularly targeted businessmen by instilling fears of financial ruin, divine wrath or the death of family members, coercing them into paying hefty sums as "Avatar Puja" charges, donations and other expenses. The agency alleged that the scheme enabled Kharat to systematically extract money and properties through deception and criminal intimidation over several years.
The complaint reveals that Kharat used elaborate props, including remote-controlled fake snakes and tiger skins, to reinforce claims of divine powers. It also alleged that he administered suspected sedatives to female devotees and sold ordinary tamarind seeds, stones and honey by falsely claiming they possessed divine healing properties.
Money Laundering Allegations
The agency alleged that Kharat laundered the proceeds through a network of cooperative credit societies and benami accounts. The ED alleged that Kharat, in connivance with bank officials and management, fraudulently opened 108 accounts in Samata Nagari Sahakari Patsanstha at Rahata and 34 benami accounts in Jagdamba Mata Gramin Bigarsheti Sahakari Patsanstha Maryadit at Sinnar.
The complaint alleged that the accounts were opened without mandatory Know Your Customer (KYC) compliance or physical verification, allowing large cash transactions to be projected as legitimate banking activity.
According to the ED, around Rs 21.25 crore was deposited in the Rahata cooperative society, from which Rs 23.87 crore, including interest, was subsequently withdrawn. In the Sinnar cooperative society, investigators alleged that about Rs 1.86 crore was deposited in the benami accounts, while Rs 3.18 crore was withdrawn on maturity.
According to the complaint, the cash withdrawn from the cooperative society accounts was not retained in the banking system. Instead, the ED alleged, it was parked with trusted associates and subsequently deployed for acquiring immovable properties across Nashik, Ahmednagar, Pune, Solapur and Mumbai, many of them purchased in the names of Kharat's family members to conceal the ownership and source of the funds.
The complaint alleged that Arvind Pandurang Bawake, a long-time associate of Kharat and an accused in the case, operated nearly 60 of the accounts opened in the Samata cooperative society. According to the ED, Bawake facilitated cash withdrawals of nearly Rs 18 crore to Rs 20 crore, transported the money on Kharat's instructions and received commissions for handling the transactions.
Assets Seized And Attached
The complaint states that searches conducted between April and May this year at residences, commercial premises, vehicles and bank lockers linked to Kharat and his associates resulted in the seizure of Rs 13.92 crore in cash, foreign currency worth Rs 5.18 lakh, gold and silver jewellery valued at Rs 1.12 crore, the freezing of bank balances amounting to Rs 2.60 crore, and the seizure of a Mercedes-Benz car. The total value of assets seized and frozen stands at Rs 17.70 crore, according to the complaint.
The complaint further states that investigators recovered property documents, digital devices and other incriminating material during the searches, which the agency has relied upon in tracing the alleged proceeds of crime.
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Separately, the ED has provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs 19.20 crore under the PMLA. The properties are registered in the names of Kharat, his wife Kalpana Kharat, and other family members, including Sugandhabai Eknath Kharat, Triptabala Ashokkumar Kharat and Shrushti Ashokkumar Kharat.
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