Mumbai, Sep 22 A special court here on Tuesday granted bail to Kalpana Kharat, wife of rape-accused 'godman' Ashok Kharat, in a money laundering case.
The Enforcement Directorate had claimed that Ashok Kharat, currently in judicial custody, was the mastermind and primary beneficiary of laundering of over Rs 47 crore. The agency also made his wife an accused in the case, but has not arrested her.
After taking cognizance of the charge sheet, the special court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) cases had issued summons to all the accused, including Kalpana Kharat.
She appeared before judge S V Sahare and sought bail. The court granted the plea.
The ED's case under the PMLA is based on a Nashik Police FIR against Ashok Kharat for alleged extortion, religious manipulation and drug-facilitated assault on multiple women victims.
The court, while taking cognizance of the charge sheet, had noted that there was prima facie evidence suggesting that Ashok Kharat lured people by projecting himself as incarnation of 'Krishna', claiming to have supernatural powers, and gathered a huge amount of money and assets by cheating or threatening his victims.
