Jailed self-styled godman Ashok Kharat's close associate and his wife died when their car rammed into a stationary container truck on Samruddhi Expressway in Maharashtra's Ahilyanagar district on Friday, prompting some Opposition leaders to raise suspicion over the incident.

Police identified the deceased as Jitendra Shelke (55) and his wife Anuradha (50). Their 14-year-old son sustained serious injuries in the accident, an official informed.

Shelke was a close associate of Nashik-based godman Kharat, who has been arrested on rape and fraud charges, among others. Shelke was Kharat's business partner and also vice-president of Shivanika Trust set up by the 'godman', according to the official.

The accident took place at around 12 pm near Dhotre village under Kopargaon police station limits in Ahilyanagar district, 250 kilometres from Mumbai, in western Maharashtra district, he said.

Shelke, who was driving the car, his wife and son were coming to Thane from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar via the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway. As the car reached Dhotre, he lost control of the vehicle and rammed into a container truck parked on the roadside, the official said.

"All three suffered grievous injuries in the crash and were rushed to a local hospital, where Shelke and his wife were declared dead on arrival. The couple's son is undergoing treatment at the hospital. A case of accidental death was registered at Kopargaon police station," he informed.

With the help of Regional Transport Office authorities and automobile experts, a crash analysis will be carried out to determine the cause of the fatal accident, said Ahilyanagar Superintendent of Police Somnath Gharge.

Opposition leaders, meanwhile, dubbed the incident "unbelievable" and wondered if it was "orchestrated" to ensure suppression of facts in the probe against Kharat.

NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar said the accidental death of Shivnika Sansthan vice-president and Kharat associate Shelke is shocking.

"One wonders whether the accident was orchestrated to ensure certain facts about Kharat do not come out. A detailed investigation must be conducted," he added.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare termed the incident "unbelievable", adding there were apprehensions for days that there could be threats to those linked to the Kharat case.

"Today's incident only strengthens that suspicion. If the SIT does not expedite the probe, doubts will only deepen. This raises serious questions on the system," she said.

Social activist Anjali Damania also raised doubts while pointing out that Shelke held a key position in the Shivnika Sansthan.

He was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) just three days ago, and now he dies in an accident, Damania said.

"This cannot be merely an accident," she alleged.

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday conducted fresh searches at a location in Sharanpur in Nashik district as part of a money laundering investigation against Kharat and entities linked to him.

The federal probe agency filed a criminal case against Kharat under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on April 6, taking cognisance of a Nashik police FIR filed against him on charges including extortion, religious manipulation and drug-facilitated assault on multiple women.

Shelke, a prominent businessman in the Shirdi region, was a member of Shivnika Sansthan Trust since 2023. He was later elevated as its vice-president in 2025 and was considered an important witness in a land deal case linked to Kharat.

Kharat was arrested on March 18 after a married woman accused him of repeatedly raping her over three years. He is currently in a Nashik jail.

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