NASHIK: Jailed astrologer Ashok Kharat’s close associate, Jitendra Shelke (50), and his wife, Anuradha (45), died when their car rammed a slow-moving truck on Samruddhi highway in Kopargaon taluka of Ahilyanagar district on Friday. Their 14-year-old son, Sujit, was critically injured and is admitted to a hospital in Shirdi, police said.“The Shelkes were traveling from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. They were barely a couple of kilometers from Shirdi when the accident occurred around 12.30pm on the highway before the interchange at Dhotre. Shelke was driving the car,” Kopargaon rural police inspector Sandip Koli said. The truck driver fled the spot and the police were probing how the accident occurred.Shelke was a prominent businessman from Shirdi and associated with Shree Shiwnika Sansthan, founded by Kharat (67). He subsequently became its vice-president. The police said Shelke was not indicted in any of the cases against Kharat, who has been arrested on rape and fraud charges, among others, and is currently in a Nashik jail. A section of Opposition leaders raised suspicion over the accident. NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar wrote on ‘X’, ‘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 and no one gets into trouble over them.”He wrote, “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.”Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare termed the incident “unbelievable”, adding that there were apprehensions for days that there could be threats to those linked to the Kharat case. “The incident only strengthens that suspicion. If the SIT does not expedite the probe, doubts will only deepen. This raises serious questions on the system,” she said.Social activist Anjali Damania also raised doubts while pointing out that Shelke held a key position in the Shivnika Sansthan. “He was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) just three days ago, and now he dies in an accident,” Damania said.Also on Friday, ED officials visited a commercial complex at Canada Corner in Nashik city, from where Kharat would operate. They searched the office for over three hours in connection with their investigation into the charges against him.(With PTI inputs)
