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FIR registered against Nashik godman Maheshgiri Kakde; Ashok Kharat arrested last month
An FIR has been registered against Maheshgiri alias Mahesh Dilip Kakde (31) in Nashik on allegations of rape and related offences. The survivor, a Nashik-based security guard, says Kakde coerced her in 2024 after claiming divine powers and using threats; the case cites the Black Magic Act. This follows the arrest last month of another Nashik godman, Ashok Kharat, in a rape case.
Why It Matters
The case highlights concerns about alleged sexual exploitation by self-styled godmen and the role of anti-superstition activists in helping victims come forward.
Timeline
3 Events
News report published about the case
April 23, 2026
A PTI-reported article published about the new FIR against Kakde, noting that the alleged crimes occurred in 2024 and referencing the earlier case involving Ashok Kharat.
FIR filed against Maheshgiri alias Mahesh Kakde (Bhondu Baba) in Nashik
April 22, 2026
Police filed an FIR at Lasalgaon police station against Maheshgiri alias Mahesh Dilip Kakde (31) after a 28-year-old Nashik woman alleged sexual abuse in 2024 and said he threatened her with divine power. The case includes offences under the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013. The survivor's family had brought her to Kakde, who claimed divine powers, and later coerced her into sex, even taking nude photographs; anti-superstition activists assisted in guiding the survivor to file the complaint.
Ashok Kharat arrested in rape case (Nashik)
March 2026
Ashok Kharat, another self-styled godman who ran a temple in Sinnar tehsil, was arrested in a rape case last month.