Andhare Alleges Chakankar Stayed With Ashok Kharat in Guwahati

A hotel stay can look ordinary on paper. But in Maharashtra’s latest political storm, three alleged days in Guwahati have become the thread everyone is pulling.

Sushma Andhare, a leader of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), has accused Rupali Chakankar of staying for three days at Hotel Blue Radisson in Guwahati with suspected godman Ashok Kharat.

That claim matters because Chakankar has denied links with Kharat. He now faces a widening police probe involving sexual assault, cheating, alleged black magic practices, and financial wrongdoing.

Guwahati stay claim raises heat

Andhare made the allegation through a Facebook post, citing media reports. She also asked whether Chakankar’s sister, Pratibha Chakankar, was present during the alleged stay.

Chakankar is a Nationalist Congress Party leader. She has also served as chairperson of the Maharashtra State Commission for Women.

That public role makes the charge sharper. A former women’s commission chief being linked, even by allegation, to a man accused of exploiting women is politically explosive.

The Enforcement Directorate has called Chakankar for questioning in a financial irregularities case linked to the Kharat matter. The agency’s interest suggests investigators are looking beyond the criminal allegations alone.

They may also be examining money trails, transactions, and possible benefits. In plain words, they want to know who paid whom, and why.

Kharat case grows wider

Police records cited in the case show Kharat faces 18 offences across Nashik and Ahilyanagar districts. The first case was filed on March 17, 2026, and the second on March 21.

A special investigation team started probing 11 cases from March 20, 2026, after orders from Maharashtra’s police leadership.

Eight of these cases involve allegations of sexual assault. The remaining cases include cheating, offences under anti-superstition laws, money lending rules, and other charges.

Police have said Kharat allegedly used claims of divine power, fear of the future, and occult rituals to exploit women. That detail should make every family pause.

These cases are not just about one accused man. They point to the old business of fear, dressed up as faith, where vulnerable people pay in cash, trust, and dignity.

Chargesheets show large probe

The special investigation team has filed detailed chargesheets in the first two assault cases. Each runs into more than 2,000 pages.

Police have recorded statements from 105 witnesses. They have also collected oral, physical, documentary, circumstantial, and electronic evidence.

That mix matters. In such cases, police often need more than victim testimony. They need phone records, payment trails, videos, location data, and documents.

The team includes Superintendent of Police Tejaswi Satpute, Deputy Superintendents Amol Bharati and Kirankumar Suryavanshi, senior inspector Trupti Sonawane, and 24 police personnel.

The investigation now covers multiple jurisdictions. Three cases are in Ahilyanagar, three in Nashik city, two in Nashik rural areas, and one with Thane police.

Police have also removed 13,175 objectionable video links. They permanently shut 451 social media accounts that allegedly carried offensive posts.

That tells us two things. First, the alleged crimes had a digital shadow. Second, once such material spreads online, the damage becomes brutally hard to contain.

Politics meets money trail

For Chakankar, the immediate question is not guilt. That is for investigators and courts to decide.

The question is proximity. If a political leader denies any link with an accused person, then an alleged hotel stay becomes a serious test of credibility.

Andhare’s accusation gives the opposition a sharp weapon. It also puts Chakankar’s party under pressure to explain what it knows, and when it knew it.

For ordinary citizens, this is where politics often feels familiar. First comes denial. Then come documents, photographs, travel details, or call records.

Sometimes the trail ends quickly. Sometimes it opens a much bigger door.

The money angle makes this case more than a political quarrel. If ED is probing financial irregularities, investigators may examine whether funds moved through shell arrangements, favours, loans, or informal channels.

People often hear “financial irregularity” and switch off. Think of it simply as suspected money movement that does not match the stated purpose.

That could include unexplained payments, hidden ownership, fake expenses, or money collected from victims. We do not yet know what ED has found in this matter.

Why this case matters beyond politics

The most disturbing part of the Kharat case is not the political shouting. It is the alleged method.

Police say women were targeted through fear, superstition, and claims of supernatural power. That is an old pattern in India.

It works because people facing illness, debt, family stress, or social pressure often look for help anywhere. A self-styled spiritual figure can turn that desperation into control.

When such control mixes with money and sexual exploitation, the harm becomes layered. Victims lose not only funds, but privacy, confidence, and social safety.

The police action against online links also shows another danger. Once videos or posts enter social media, victims can suffer a second punishment.

Courts will decide the criminal case. Agencies will follow the money. Political parties will fight the optics.

But the larger lesson is already clear. Public life needs cleaner distance from people who trade in fear. And citizens need systems that protect them before blind faith becomes someone else’s business model.