The afterlife of a crime: How leaked videos of sexual assault are silencing Nashik ‘godman’ Kharat’s victims a second time | Mumbai News

Police say the two challenges, pursuing justice and containing the fallout, are now inseparable. “Some victims are hesitant to come forward because they are scared their identity will be revealed, not just publicly but even within their own families,” a police officer said.

Kharat, arrested on March 18 in a sexual assault case, was produced before Joint Civil Judge and Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate M V Bharade. (File Photo)

According to police sources, some victims had not disclosed the abuse even to their families at home. This has created tension and silence within families, they said, with some members only recently becoming aware of what happened.

“We get sudden stress and shock,” said another relative of a victim who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “There is a constant fear that our identity will be revealed. Only we know how we are handling ourselves. The situation has traumatised the whole family.”

Several other victims refused to speak to this newspaper despite repeated assurances of anonymity, illustrating what officers describe as a chilling effect that is now shaping the investigation itself.

Outside the court where Kharat is being produced. (Express photo by Yatish Bhanu)

Kharat, a self-proclaimed godman who referred to himself as “Captain”, was arrested on March 18 after a 35-year-old woman lodged a rape complaint at Sarkarwada police station. Investigators say he allegedly lured women to his office with promises of resolving personal issues, administered intoxicants, and invoked fears of death or occult practices before assaulting them. The police have discovered over 100 objectionable videos, mainly footage captured by a former staffer who planted cameras in Kharat’s office and later turned whistleblower.

It is the existence of these videos, and their spread well beyond investigators’ control, that is now compounding the harm. The anguish sits uneasily alongside the anger families say they are also carrying. “We want one thing. That the baba should be punished severely and should not see the light of day,” one relative said. “If justice is not done, we know how to deal with him.”

Ashok Kumar Eknath Kharat’s office in Nashik, where the women were allegedly assaulted, has been sealed by police. (Express photo by Deepak Joshi)

Police have registered two FIRs specifically related to the circulation — one covering WhatsApp groups, another covering social media platforms — a signal of how many channels the content is moving through simultaneously. “The moment one link is taken down, it resurfaces elsewhere,” a senior officer said. “It is an uphill task.”

The SIT has deployed dedicated teams across multiple fronts: tracing those circulating the videos, analysing digital trails, coordinating with platforms for swift takedowns, and initiating legal action. Crucially, police have warned that cases will be registered not only against individuals forwarding the content, but also against group administrators and social media handlers found facilitating its spread, with provisions for arrest and prosecution.

A parallel effort is focused on continuous counselling of victims and their families, many of whom are struggling to cope with the emotional fallout. Special teams have been tasked with remaining in regular contact, offering support and reassurance. “We are assuring complete confidentiality. Protecting the identity of victims is our top priority,” an officer said.

Police have also issued a public appeal: if you have received this content, delete it immediately and do not forward it; sharing such material is a criminal offence. But with videos continuing to spread faster than they can be removed, investigators say they are confronting not just the crime, but its afterlife.