15 hrs ago
Mumbai PMLA Court Issues Process Against Six in Money-Laundering Case
A Mumbai court is examining a money-laundering case involving six accused people.
The case concerns property, bank accounts, fixed deposits, and vehicles allegedly worth ₹17.70 crore.
The Enforcement Directorate says Ashok Kharat claimed to have special religious and supernatural powers.
It alleges that he used this image to collect money from people.
Investigators also allege that accounts were opened using followers’ documents and false KYC details.
The court said similar actions appeared in several police cases.
This led the court to view the alleged activity as organized rather than a one-time event.
The accused must appear before the court by September 22, 2026.
The special PMLA court took cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate’s complaint involving ₹17.70 crore.
Ashok Kharat, his wife Kalpana Kharat, and four others were named as accused.
The Enforcement Directorate alleges Kharat posed as an incarnation of Krishna with supernatural powers to extort money.
Investigators allege that 48 special savings accounts and 34 benami accounts were opened using fraudulent KYC documents.
The court said repeated conduct across multiple FIRs indicated systematic and continuous generation of alleged proceeds of crime.
- Who
- Ashok Kharat, Kalpana Kharat, Arvind Bawake, Namkaran Aware, Avinash Kandekar, and Milind Bankar; the Enforcement Directorate filed the complaint.
- What
- The special PMLA court took cognisance of a ₹17.70-crore money-laundering complaint and issued process against the six accused.
- Where
- Before the special PMLA court in Mumbai; the alleged account activity involved institutions in Rahata and Sinnar.
- When
- The order was reported on September 9, 2026; the accused were directed to appear before September 22, 2026.
- Why
- The Enforcement Directorate alleges that the accused generated proceeds of crime through extortion, fraudulent accounts, and property transactions.
Key facts
- Alleged proceeds of crime
- ₹17.70 crore
- Court action
- Process issued against six accused
- Primary accused
- Ashok Kharat
- Other named accused
- Kalpana Kharat, Arvind Bawake, Namkaran Aware, Avinash Kandekar, and Milind Bankar
- Accounts allegedly opened
- 48 special savings accounts and 34 benami accounts
- Court appearance
- Before September 22, 2026
- Investigating agency
- Enforcement Directorate
Quotes
Special PMLA court
The Mumbai court hearing the Enforcement Directorate’s money-laundering complaint.
“Multiple FIRs have been registered against them as the Accused No.1 has lured the people by projecting himself as the incarnation of ‘Krishna’ possessing religious and spiritual authority having special and supernatural powers. They have gathered huge amounts of assets thereby proceeds of crime,”
freepressjournal.in
“From the complaint and the material placed on record, prima facie depicts and disclose a consistent and systematic course of conduct by the accused No.1 (Kharat) who was helped by other accused persons,”
freepressjournal.in
Sources
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