The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has launched a money laundering investigation against Ashok Kharat, a self-styled godman arrested last month for allegedly raping a woman multiple times over three years. The probe stems from a First Information Report (FIR) filed by Nashik police after a businessman accused Kharat of extorting ₹4-5 crore (approximately $480,000 USD) over various pretexts from 2018 to 2019. The businessman, involved in the real estate and construction sector, also claimed that Kharat coerced him into transferring ownership of a luxury car valued at ₹90 lakh (around $108,000 USD) in 2018. Kharat has been remanded in judicial custody by a Nashik court until April 14. He faces a total of thirteen cases, including four cheating allegations from businessmen in Mumbai, Pune, and Ahilyanagar, as well as a farmer from Shirdi. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that the ED would investigate Kharat's dubious financial dealings, revealing numerous bogus bank accounts linked to him.