Nashik Police Warn Against Revealing Identities of Victims in Ashok Kharat case
Nashik, 23rd March 2026: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Nashik police has issued an advisory cautioning media organisations, social media users and citizens against disclosing the identities of women allegedly exploited in the case involving self-styled godman Ashok Kharrat.
In an advisory issued on Monday, police stressed compliance with Section 228A of the IPC, which prohibits revealing the identity of sexual assault victims. Officials said that several platforms, including news channels and social media accounts, have shared content that could expose victims through images, descriptions and personal details.
Police said such disclosures cause severe trauma and may deter victims from coming forward. They have urged the media organisations, content creators and the public to exercise restraint and avoid publishing any information that could directly or indirectly reveal the identity of victims or their families. Violators could face legal action, the advisory said.
The warning comes amid an ongoing probe into Kharrat, who was arrested following a complaint by a 35-year-old woman alleging sexual assault under the pretext of offering spiritual solutions. Police have since registered at least six FIRs and recovered incriminating material.
The SIT, led by Additional SP Tejaswini Satpute, is also probing Kharrat’s assets, network and possible links, while appealing to citizens to share information confidentially.
Meanwhile, the police have also issued the mobile numbers of the SIT team (9503270224, 7775816389), where the victims and common citizens share any information related to the case to help the investigation team in the matter.
