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ED gets court nod to question ‘key suspect’ in jail in Ashok Kharat money laundering case
A special PMLA court allowed the ED to interrogate a key suspect in jail as part of the Ashok Kharat money laundering probe, with custodial questioning slated for April 21–22. Earlier, ED conducted searches and registered an ECIR, signaling an expansion of the investigation into money flows and network roles.
Why It Matters
The development indicates the ED is widening the probe from predicate offences to reconstructing financial flows and identifying roles within the alleged laundering network, potentially strengthening case-building against Kharat and associates.
Timeline
4 Events
Article reports ongoing ED probe and scheduled custodial questioning
April 19, 2026
The article reports on the ongoing ED probe expanding beyond predicate offences to reconstruct financial flows and fix roles within the laundering network. It notes that Bawke is in judicial custody in a separate Shirdi police FIR, that the ED opened around 60 bank accounts with Bawke assisting deposits, and that ED searches conducted on Friday (April 17) focused on financial records, trusts and linked entities in Nashik.
Court allows custodial questioning of key suspect; recording scheduled
April 18, 2026
A special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act allowed the ED to examine in jail a ‘key suspect’ in the case. The jail superintendent was directed to facilitate the recording of Bawke’s statement between April 21 and 22, and ED officers were permitted to carry electronic gadgets and other materials for the exercise.
ED conducts searches at Kharat offices and related premises
April 17, 2026
The ED carried out searches at Kharat's office and other premises, focusing on financial records, trusts and linked entities, widening scrutiny to suspected benami assets and fund flows in Nashik as part of the multi-agency investigation.
ECIR registered by ED in Ashok Kharat case
April 6, 2026
The Enforcement Directorate registered an Economic Crimes Investigation Report (ECIR) on April 6, 2026, treating extortion offences as scheduled offences under the PMLA as part of its probe into alleged money laundering linked to Nashik-based self-styled godman Ashok Kharat. The ED case stems from an FIR registered by Sarkarwada police in Nashik against Kharat and others.