THANE The Thane police have booked a former senior official of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) for allegedly raping a 31-year-old woman repeatedly over a three-year period between 2020 and 2023.The official has also been accused by the survivor of extortion and using black magic to intimidate her by taking her to astrologer Ashok Kharat’s premises in Nashik, said a police officer. Kharat has been arrested in several cases of sexual assault and fraud.According to the First Information Report (FIR) filed by the woman, her ordeal began in 2020 while she was employed as a contractual data entry operator with the TMC.The complainant alleged that the senior official exploited his influential position to lure her to a rented apartment in an upscale residential complex in Thane. “During one of their initial meetings, she has stated, the official spiked her drink with a sedative, rendering her unconscious before sexually assaulting her,” said a police officer.To ensure that the woman did not speak up, the accused allegedly filmed the act on his mobile phone and used the footage as leverage, threatening to upload it to social media platforms if she did not continue to comply with his demands, the police officer said.The woman’s statement details a pattern of abuse, with the official taking her to various locations between 2020 and 2023, the officer said.According to police, the woman has described how she was allegedly taken to Nashik on the pretext of a visit to “a renowned astrologer, Captain Ashok Kharat.” The complainant alleged that the ex-official forced her to participate in superstitious rituals involving lemons and “specific charms” at the astrologer’s office, claiming these practices were necessary for her future well-being.The police have registered the case under Indian Penal Code sections related to rape, criminal intimidation, and administration of drugs with the intent to commit a crime.While the FIR has been lodged, the former municipal official has not been taken into custody yet.Senior officials said the probe has been handed over to the Thane crime branch, which has launched an investigation to verify electronic evidence and trace the movements of the accused.
