Maharashtra: Row erupts over video of Women’s Commission chief with rape-accused ‘godman’

A political controversy has broken out in Maharashtra after a video surfaced showing State Women’s Commission chairperson Rupali Chakankar appearing to perform a ritual at the feet of a self-styled godman who has been arrested on rape charges.

The viral clip shows Chakankar, along with another woman, paying obeisance to former merchant navy captain Ashok Kharat, who is currently in police custody. In a separate image circulating online, she is also seen holding an umbrella over him. The visuals have triggered sharp reactions, with Opposition leaders questioning her position and demanding her resignation.

They argue that, as head of the Women’s Commission, Chakankar is tasked with ensuring justice for survivors of sexual violence. “If she is seen revering an accused in a rape case, how will victims trust the system?” Opposition voices have asked.

Kharat has been booked at the Sarkarwada police station in Nashik on charges including rape. A 35-year-old woman has alleged that he sexually assaulted her after administering intoxicants under the pretext of a religious ritual.

Police arrested him on 18 March and produced him before a Nashik district court, which remanded him to police custody until 24 March.

Investigators have also seized a pen drive from Kharat’s office near Canada Corner, containing 58 videos that are now under examination. Police said they are probing the extent of the alleged abuse between 2022 and 2024, including whether more women may have been targeted.

The former merchant navy employee turned to astrology and numerology after retirement, eventually cultivating a clientele that reportedly included politicians and celebrities. He went on to establish himself as a spiritual figure and founded the Shri Shivnika Sansthan temple in Sinnar taluka.

Chakankar is listed as a trustee of this temple. The site has also drawn political attention in the past — in November 2022, then chief minister Eknath Shinde had visited it, after which Kharat gained wider prominence.

Sushma Andhare, a leader from the Shiv Sena's Uddhav Bal Thackeray faction, alleged that Chakankar had previously used her official position to pressure an organisation into apologising after it levelled sexual exploitation charges against Kharat.

“Now it is not just suspicion but fear — if she misuses such an important office again to support a person accused of such acts, who will take responsibility?” Andhare said, questioning whether Chakankar should continue in her role.

The controversy has widened, with RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar and social activist Anjali Damania sharing the video on social media, while NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) spokesperson Vilas Lavande has also called for Chakankar’s resignation.

Chakankar is affiliated with the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Opposition leaders have also sought to draw in the party’s leadership, asking whether it endorses her continuation in office.

Responding to the allegations, Chakankar said she had no knowledge of Kharat’s “personal life” or the accusations against him at the time. “I was not aware of the allegations against him. The police will now investigate the matter impartially,” she said, adding that she has full faith in the ongoing probe.

As the investigation deepens and more details emerge, the episode has raised broader questions about institutional credibility — particularly the optics and accountability expected from those tasked with safeguarding women’s rights.