“Baba ji asked the woman to pull her kurta up and grabbed her breasts. He then started chanting some mantras.”
There is a thin line between faith and foolishness, and that line is often blurred when men posing as godmen exploit people and sexually abuse women in the name of solving their problems. There is no dearth of such babas in India, but the shocking details that emerged from the Nashik godman Ashok Kharat’s case have once again brought attention to this disturbing reality. Kharat is accused of raping women, sexually assaulting a pregnant woman, and forcing her to abort. He also faces allegations of murder, and complaints continue to surface as the investigation intensifies. In just five days, more than 50 calls were made to the police reporting sexual assault, extortion, and circulation of objectionable material. The bigger question, however, is why these people stayed silent for so long.
The answer lies in how these godmen operate. It shows how faith, when mixed with superstition, can give someone terrifying power. Power that controls minds, hearts, and even a sense of self. People are manipulated in the name of God and salvation, no questions asked. Because on the path of God, faith means “complete surrender” – no ifs or buts.
Neeru, who was sent to one such baba by her parents, recalled her uncomfortable experience. He used to hold religious gatherings at his Delhi flat every Tuesday and Saturday.
“When I first went there, it seemed like a normal kirtan. It was a regular three-bedroom flat, and one room was dedicated to religious activities. He would sit on a gaddi while others sat outside reciting Hanuman Chalisa and Japji Sahib path. Then he would interact with people who came with their problems,” Neeru told India Today Digital.
Neeru (name changed), who was just 20 at the time, had been unwell for years, and doctors were unable to identify the cause. After trying everything, her family began looking beyond science, and someone suggested this baba.
“I used to go every Tuesday and Saturday. Since I was already a believer of Lord Hanuman, I connected quickly. I was tired of being sick, so I was ready to try anything to get better. After a few weeks, he asked my father to send me with him to a temple in Rajasthan. My father had developed so much faith that he agreed and insisted that I should go,” she recalled.
“At the temple, he made us sit in a room. He signalled his son, who left. Then he asked a woman sitting next to me to pull her kurta up and grabbed her breasts. He started chanting mantras. I was shocked,” she said.
“I knew I would be next, so I pretended to be sick and left the room. I managed to wriggle out of the situation that day, but I was scared he might call me again.”
Neeru said it instantly reminded her of what the baba had told her during their bus journey, “‘You have a spirit with you. I will have to treat you. Sometimes the treatment is done through the upper body, but if that does not work, then I have to treat you through the lower body,’ he told me, as if preparing me for what was to happen next.”
Later, during the journey, the woman told Neeru that she had been unable to conceive for eight years but believed it was because of the baba that she finally conceived.
“The comfort she had with him, the way she exposed herself without hesitation, and the way her family trusted him despite what he was doing left me shocked and disgusted,” Neeru said.
After returning home, Neeru told her mother everything, believing her parents would take action.
“To my surprise, everyone stayed silent. I was told I don’t have to go there again, but my parents did nothing about it. I was shocked. I felt as if I wasn’t protected as I should have been,” she said.
This says a lot about society. Neeru stayed silent in that moment because her priority was to leave safely. She was surrounded by strangers who blindly trusted the man she wanted to question.
But she did speak up once she got home. At her age, that was the most she could do. Her parents’ silence reflects a larger problem and helps explain why such men continue to exploit women without fear.
“It happened about a decade ago, and I still get chills when I think about it. The visuals do not leave you. No woman should have to see this or go through it. It left a lasting impact on me. I cannot travel in the general compartment of metro. I feel anxious when surrounded by men,” she said.
“HE TOUCHED ME DOWN THERE”
Deepika (name changed), who had a similar experience, said her father took her to a man who claimed to be a disciple of a godman.
“It was a lavish flat in South Delhi, and the people there were rich and educated. Most came for advice on business decisions, property issues, or marital problems. The man would close his eyes as if meditating and then give them solutions,” Deepika told India Today Digital.
Deepika had gone there for health-related issues. She was 29 at that time.
“I went with my father, and he took me to a room. He closed the door and asked me to lie down on the bed. He pulled down my pants and touched me down there while chanting mantras. I felt scared but didn’t know how to react. I froze. He did not ask for permission or explain anything. He touched me all over and then asked me to leave. After that, I told my parents I was completely fine so I would not have to go again,” she said.
The fact that a man could molest a woman with her father sitting outside without fearing consequences highlights the deeply uncomfortable reality: men are taking their daughters, wives, sisters to such babas. These babas know that even their parents wouldn’t question it because they are blinded by devotion that stops them from seeing deception.
In the Nashik case, visuals showed a woman following the godman’s instructions and allowing him to touch her. She did not appear uncomfortable. Instead, she seemed at ease, which reflects the level of trust that had been built over time. This trust is not created overnight. They identify easy targets, begin gradually, and escalate the abuse as trust deepens.
According to the police, one survivor endured sexual assault for three years before speaking out. The accused allegedly manipulated her through rituals, claims of divine powers, and psychological control. He is also accused of drugging her and repeatedly assaulting her between November 2022 and December 2025.
Ashok Kharat is now behind bars, but many such babas continue to operate freely. Neeru and Deepika managed to escape, but countless others remain trapped. These men exploit women, extort money, and in some cases even gain influence in political circles. They are empowered by the very followers they deceive.
Many such figures have been exposed over the years, yet for every one that falls, another emerges claiming divine powers. Once again, people place their blind trust in them. And the cycle continues. These babas are not powerful on their own. Their power comes from the people who refuse to question them. And until that changes, no arrest, no expose, and no outrage will be enough to stop what is happening behind closed doors.
– Ends
