Mumbai, July 18: The ED filed a charge sheet against self-proclaimed ‘godman’ Ashokkumar Eknath Kharat @Captain @ Bondhu Baba, his wife and four others for money-laundering linked to an extortion racket run under the guise of spiritual practices, an official statement said on Saturday.

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Mumbai Zonal Office, filed the charge sheet against Kharat, his wife Kalpana Kharat and other accused before the Special Court (PMLA), Mumbai.

Assets worth Rs 36.90 crore have been attached, seized or frozen in the case till date in the case, the statement said.

Earlier, the ED had also arrested Kharat on May 19 under Section 19 of the PMLA for the offence of money-laundering, and he continues to be in judicial custody.

On July 15, the ED provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs 19.20 crore under Section 5 of the PMLA, 2002, held in the names of the accused and his family members, it said.

This was in addition to assets worth Rs 17.70 crore seized/frozen during searches conducted under Section 17 of the PMLA at multiple premises, bank lockers and vehicles linked to the accused and his associates during April and May 2026, said the ED.

The ED had initiated an investigation against Kharat based on multiple FIRs registered by Sarkar Wada, Shirdi, Sinnar and Rahata Police Stations.

Investigation revealed that Kharat exploited the religious faith of devotees and dishonestly induced them to part with money and properties under the pretext of performing “Avatar Poojas”, curing illnesses, averting misfortune and ensuring business prosperity, thereby generating Proceeds of Crime through extortion, cheating and criminal intimidation, the ED said.

Investigation also revealed that Kharat falsely projected himself as possessing divine powers and as an incarnation of Lord Shiva to deceive devotees, the ED said.

He laundered the Proceeds of Crime through two cooperative credit societies by fraudulently operating over multiple accounts in connivance with an employee and through multiple benami accounts for large cash deposits and subsequent withdrawals, including maturity proceeds, the ED said.

The laundered funds were retained with trusted associates or invested in immovable properties across Nashik, Ahmednagar, Solapur, Pune and Mumbai in the names of his family members, the ED said.

Nashik, July 18: A 20-year-old woman was stabbed to death by a 26-year-old man, who was later found hanging from a tree in the same locality, in what police suspect to be a case of murder-suicide in Maharashtra’s Nashik, officials said on Saturday.

According to the police, the accused, identified as Sahil Ashok Lavare, attacked and killed the victim, Vaishnavi Avare, near a temple in the Indiranagar area late on Friday night before allegedly dying by suicide at a jogging track in the locality during the early hours of Saturday.

Officials said the accused allegedly stabbed the woman multiple times and also slit her throat with a knife. Residents rushed to the spot after hearing the victim’s screams, but by the time they reached the scene, the accused had managed to flee.

Police said the woman succumbed to her injuries at the spot before she could receive medical assistance.

A few hours later, at around 3 A.M., the accused was found hanging from a tree at the jogging track in the Indiranagar area. Police suspect that he died by suicide after allegedly committing the murder.

According to officials, the victim was a student and had been living as a paying guest in the locality.

Preliminary investigation indicates that the victim and the accused had met on Friday evening before the incident took place. Investigators initially suspected that the attack may have been triggered by a one-sided love affair.

However, further investigation has revealed that Sahil Lavare and Vaishnavi Avare had allegedly been in a live-in relationship for nearly two years. According to the preliminary findings, the accused allegedly attacked the woman after she refused to marry him.

Police suspect that after allegedly murdering Vaishnavi, Sahil went to the Indiranagar jogging track complex, where he allegedly died by suicide by hanging himself from a tree.

Officials have registered a case of murder and launched a detailed investigation to ascertain the exact sequence of events and establish the precise motive behind the crime.

Police said further investigation into the incident is underway.

Mumbai, July 18: The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) on Saturday came down heavily on the central government for allegedly ignoring and defaming climate activist Sonam Wangchuk.

In an editorial published in the party mouthpiece Saamana, it said Wangchuk, along with a student named Neha, has been on a hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar for the past 21 days, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the widespread NEET-UG question paper leak scandal.

The editorial strongly defended Wangchuk, saying he had travelled from Ladakh to New Delhi to “save the nation”. It also lashed out at alleged corporate land grabbing in Ladakh, claiming the region’s fragile tribal ecosystem was being destroyed.

“When Wangchuk raised his voice against this institutional looting, he became undesirable to PM Modi. Fighting for one’s rights has effectively become a crime in independent India,” the editorial remarked, adding that Wangchuk’s fight belongs to every citizen.

The Thackeray camp also sharply criticised BJP leaders for allegedly trying to malign Ramon Magsaysay and Padma awardee Sonam Wangchuk. It specifically targeted BJP MP Manoj Tiwari for describing Wangchuk as a member of the “Aam Aadmi gang” and calling him an “obstacle” to India’s growth.

Retorting to Tiwari’s remarks, the editorial criticised his background in Bhojpuri cinema and accused the ruling party of harbouring individuals who justify theft, even drawing parallels to corruption surrounding the Ram Temple funds. It further noted that the BJP had no qualms about aligning with the Aam Aadmi Party during Anna Hazare’s historic anti-corruption movement at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi years ago.

Highlighting the gravity of the NEET paper leak, the editorial pointed out that the scam has driven millions of students into deep depression, resulting in 20 to 25 student suicides.

“In this regime, human life has lost its value. Let students die, let farmers die, let soldiers perish in Pulwama, or tourists in Kashmir—this government remains completely unfazed,” said the editorial.

It added that doctors have expressed extreme concern for the life of Neha, the student fasting alongside Wangchuk, yet the government has shown zero empathy.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena drew a sharp contrast between PM Modi’s international public relations and his domestic apathy. It mocked the Prime Minister for travelling abroad to meet Italian PM Giorgia Meloni with “Melody chocolates” while refusing to walk just a few furlongs from his residence to offer a glass of water to a dying activist.

The Thackeray camp hailed Wangchuk’s invaluable contributions to national security —specifically his invention of solar-powered insulated tents that keep Indian soldiers warm at +15°C even when outside temperatures plummet to -14°C in high-altitude border zones.

Concluding with a stern warning, the editorial stated that the “arrogance and cruelty” currently displayed by the BJP echoes the hubris of historical tyrants like Ravana, Duryodhana, Hitler, Idi Amin, and Aurangzeb.

“History shows that such arrogance eventually turns to dust. The bubbling ego of the BJP over Wangchuk’s hunger strike will meet the same fate,” the editorial commented.