NASHIK: Jailed self-styled godman Ashok Kharat’s close associate and his wife were killed after their car rammed a ‘slow moving truck’ on the Samruddhi Expressway in Maharashtra’s Ahilyanagar district on Friday. Their 14-year-old son sustained serious injuries in the accident, police said.The deceased were identified as Jitendra Shelke (55) and his wife Anuradha (50). Police said Shelke was a close associate and business partner of Nashik-based godman Kharat and also served as vice-president of the Shivanika Trust run by him.The accident occurred around 12 pm near Dhotre village under Kopargaon police station limits, about 250 km from Mumbai.Opposition raises suspicionThe fatal crash has triggered political reactions, with some Opposition leaders raising doubts over the circumstances of the incident.The opposition raised suspicion over the accident. “The death of Jitendra Shelke, the associate of Ashok Kharat and VP of Shiwnika Sansthan, in a tragic accident is extremely shocking. One can’t help but suspect whether this accident was orchestrated so that Kharat’s other unrevealed misdeeds don’t come to light,” NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar posted on X. “A thorough investigation of this accident must be conducted. Moreover, since many matters are likely to surface in the inquiry into Kharat as well, his safety must also be ensured,” he added.Sena UBT’s Sushma Andhare termed the accident “unbelievable”, expressing apprehension that more people linked to the Kharat could be in mortal danger. “If the SIT does not expedite the probe, doubts will only deepen,” she said.Who was Jitendra Shelke?According to officials, Shelke was closely associated with Ashok Kharat, who is currently in judicial custody in multiple cases including rape, sexual assault, and cheating allegations. Shelke’s role as vice-president of Shivanika Trust further linked him to Kharat’s network.Wider investigation around Ashok Kharat continuesKharat remains in police custody as investigations continue in multiple cases against him. The Enforcement Directorate is also probing an alleged money laundering angle and has carried out searches linked to his associates and entities.Possibility of encounter: Congress leader Praniti Shinde According to news agency PTI, activist Anjali Damania alleged that a senior Nashik police officer had attended an event where Kharat was present and demanded a departmental vigilance inquiry, claiming there were multiple call records linked to the officer.In a post onMeanwhile, Congress leader Praniti Shinde suggested the possibility of an encounter involving Kharat, alleging that names from the ruling dispensation could emerge during the probe.“I feel he (Kharat) may be killed in an encounter, as many names are going to come forward during the investigation. Some of them could be part of the current ruling dispensation in Maharashtra, including state ministers,” she said, adding that the government’s stance was contradictory to its claims of supporting women.Reacting to the controversy, Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule urged political leaders not to make unverified claims and to cooperate with the ongoing investigation instead of making statements for publicity.“Instead of making statements such as ‘encounter’ to gain media attention, they should submit any information to the Special Investigation Team set up by the state government,” he said, adding that public representatives should act responsibly.Police question associate’s familyIn a parallel development, police on Monday questioned Pratibha Chakankar in connection with allegations involving the use of a bank account linked to Kharat. Officials said accounts in the name of Pratibha and her son in a credit cooperative society are under scrutiny.
