Nashik police on Friday booked at least 65 people for sharing obscene videos and AI-morphed images of women allegedly abused by self-styled godman Ashok Kharat.
According to sources from the cyber police station, a monitoring exercise across social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and X, uncovered widespread sharing of sensitive and explicit material that not only violated the privacy of the victims but also risked exposing their identities. Officials stated that some users had even utilised artificial intelligence tools to manipulate images and create objectionable content.
Based on these findings, the cyber police have registered a case against the identified account holders under Sections 294(2), 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, along with Section 67(A) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, which deals with the publication and transmission of sexually explicit material online.
Earlier, on Thursday, police in Ahilyanagar and Nashik arrested two people and booked eight others for circulating obscene videos of a women allegedly abused by Kharat.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said criminal action will be taken against those circulating obscene videos of the women victims of self-styled godman Ashok Kharat on social media.
“In Kharat case, many more victims are coming forward. Some more FIRs will be filed,” Fadnavis told reporters in Mumbai.
The victims have been given full protection, including protection of their identities, Fadnavis said.
Kharat was held on March 18 for allegedly raping a woman repeatedly for the past three years. A probe into the case has uncovered several videos of him exploiting women.
(With Agency Inputs)
