Sensitive Info Being Leaked, Says Maharashtra Congress
mumbai : The Maharashtra Congress on Saturday said sensitive information regarding arrested self-styled godman Ashok Kharat was leaked and asked whether the Mahayuti government was using the state machinery to settle personal accounts. Kharat was arrested on March 18 for allegedly raping a woman for three years; The ensuing investigation uncovered numerous crimes, including sexual assault and financial irregularities. A total of eight FIRs have been registered against him so far.
In his statement, Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant claimed that the names of many leaders from the ruling Mahayuti party have emerged in the case.
He added that recent developments involving Call Detail Records (CDR) confirmed the earlier allegations.
He asked how such important and confidential evidence, part of an ongoing investigation, ended up in the public domain.
“Is this a negligence on the part of the investigating agencies, or are they being misused to selectively leak information to close accounts?” he asked.
Describing the problem as “extremely serious”, he said agencies’ claims to prevent such leaks were “unfortunate” and undermined public trust.
He also cited previous examples of cases where videos featuring women had gone viral, claiming they were linked to the investigation and caused serious distress to those involved.
Demanding accountability, Sawant stated that the lives and families of many people were negatively affected and described the situation as “extremely unfortunate” for the state.
Sawant questioned whether the leaks were due to “complete negligence” by investigative agencies or “deliberate strategy” of ruling parties.
“Is Mahayuti using the state machinery to settle personal scores through selective leaks? This is a very serious trend. The role of investigative agencies in this mess is extremely worrying and unfortunate for Maharashtra,” he said.
“Previously, videos of women who were part of the investigation went viral, devastating lives and families. Who will take responsibility for this?” Sawant asked.
Activist Anjali Damania on Friday alleged that at least 17 meetings took place between Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and rape-accused godman Ashok Kharat over an unspecified period in the past.
He told a Marathi news channel that some BJP and NCP leaders also spoke to the self-styled godman over the phone.
Damania claimed that he received Kharat’s CDR (Call Detail Records) from an unknown number via WhatsApp.
