Maharashtra politics is reeling from a shocking scandal involving a prominent women’s rights figure and a controversial spiritual leader. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday instructed Rupali Chakankar, head of the Maharashtra State Women’s Commission, to resign amid her alleged ties to arrested Nashik-based Captain Ashok Kharat.
Kharat, who proclaims himself a numerologist and godman, was apprehended on charges of sexual harassment, rape, and secretly filming women. The trustee of his Shri Shivnika Sansthan in Sinnar—none other than Chakankar—has been caught in a viral video kneeling to wash his feet, a scene that has fueled demands for accountability.
Responding swiftly, Fadnavis mandated a high-level SIT under IPS officer Tejswini Satpute to investigate the gravity of the claims. Authorities seized a pen drive with 58 videos capturing intimate moments of various individuals, painting a grim picture of systematic abuse.
Photographs further complicate matters, showing Chakankar shielding Kharat with an umbrella and engaging in servile acts. She faces additional allegations of intimidating a journalist who first blew the whistle on Kharat last year.
Chakankar maintains she will respond with evidence soon, but her refusal to resign has heightened tensions. In correspondence with DGP Sadanand Date, the CM stressed urgent, unbiased probes, with the commission tasked to oversee police updates from Nashik.
The episode underscores vulnerabilities in institutions meant to protect women, especially when leaders appear compromised. As investigations unfold, this could reshape discussions on regulating fringe religious figures and ensuring integrity in public bodies.