Shirdi Hotelier Receives ₹13.5 Cr from Self-Styled Godman Ashok Kharat for Land Deal: ED
A Shirdi-based hotelier, questioned in connection with a money laundering probe linked to self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, has allegedly told the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that he received ₹13.5 crore in cash from Kharat last year for a proposed land deal aimed at developing hospitality projects in the pilgrimage town, sources said.
According to officials familiar with the probe, the hotelier told investigators that the cash was provided for the acquisition of land parcels intended for hotel and tourism-related infrastructure in and around the pilgrimage town, including strategic purchases along the Samruddhi Mahamarg corridor. Rapid infrastructure expansion has significantly pushed up land valuations in this area.
He stated that he distributed the entire amount to four land dealers and agents to identify and secure suitable properties. However, the proposed transactions could not be finalized, and the funds remain with the intermediaries, who are still awaiting the closure of suitable land deals, sources added.
During questioning, the hotelier reportedly told investigators that the entire ₹13.5 crore was received in cash and that he was unaware of its original source. He also provided details of the four land dealers and agents to whom he transferred the cash amount. Recently, the ED conducted searches at multiple premises linked to the hotelier. Officials said the searches were part of an ongoing money laundering probe linked to Kharat, involving suspected financial layering through hospitality and real estate investments.
In his statement before the agency, the hotelier reportedly revealed that while Kharat was not a legal owner in the proposed hospitality venture, there was an understanding that he would receive a partnership stake in the hotel project in return for his multi-crore investment, if the land transactions had gone through. The ED is now preparing to summon the four land agents concerned to trace the flow and ultimate utilization of the funds. Investigators believe the ₹13.5 crore cash transaction is a crucial link in a wider ₹70 crore banking fraud case involving alleged 'ghost accounts' in cooperative credit societies.
By mapping these alleged benami arrangements, the agency aims to establish how Kharat allegedly utilized local businessmen and proposed commercial ventures to 'layer' illicit wealth into the mainstream economy. Officials are also examining another key aspect of the alleged arrangement: the ₹13.5 crore was extended with an understanding that it would be returned with substantial interest if the proposed land transactions did not materialize. However, investigators noted that despite the deal not materializing, Kharat allegedly neither sought the money back nor charged any interest. This could indicate that the arrangement was not merely a conventional business profit model but may have involved a mechanism to park and layer unaccounted funds through real estate-linked ventures.
On May 2, the ED moved an application before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court seeking a production warrant to bring Ashok Kharat from Nashik Central Jail to Mumbai for custodial interrogation. On Saturday, the Rahata court remanded Kharat to 14 days’ judicial custody following the end of his police custody in connection with an alleged Shirdi land purchase scam and the creation of nearly 100 fraudulent bank accounts in the Samata Credit Society. Investigators suspect these accounts were used to route and siphon funds while exploring entry into the lucrative pilgrimage hospitality sector around Shirdi. Kharat had been exploring entry into the lucrative pilgrimage hospitality sector around Shirdi through indirect investments in hotels, resorts, and commercial land parcels, where land prices and tourist footfall have increased sharply in recent years.
