Baba Ashok Kharat accused of fake tax raids in Shirdi
India
Baba Ashok Kharat, a self-proclaimed godman in Shirdi, stands accused of allegedly running a scam where his team posed as income tax officers and raided devotees' homes.
Victims were pressured into handing over crores, with Kharat promising to settle things at a higher level, almost like something out of the movie Special 26.
Kharat's aides targeted wealthy industrialists
Kharat's aides targeted wealthy industrialists, using fake tax raids to scare them into paying up.
Many victims have stayed quiet out of fear or embarrassment.
Kharat after a devotee spoke up, and the case has left Shirdi residents shocked.
Authorities are now warning people to watch out for impostors pretending to be officials.