₹70 crore money laundering case: ED gets 'godman' Ashok Kharat's custody till May 26

Key points

• A Special PMLA Court in Mumbai on Wednesday (May 20, 2026) remanded self-styled godman Ashok Kharat to the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) till May 26 in connection with an alleged ₹70 crore money laundering case.
• Kharat, already facing rape and fraud charges, was produced before the court after the ED arrested him in the money laundering case on Tuesday (May 19).
• The central probe agency sought his custody for 10 days for a detailed investigation.
• The ED filed the case against Kharat under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on April 6, taking cognisance of a Nashik Police FIR filed against him on charges of extortion, religious manipulation, and drug-facilitated assault on multiple women victims.
• Kharat also faces multiple FIRs related to rape and sexual exploitation of women.