Rupali Chakankar resigns hours after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s directive

Rupali Chakankar,Chairperson of Maharashtra State Commission for Women has resigned from her post, hours after being asked to by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The development came on Friday evening when Fadnavis called Chakankar for a meeting where he asked for her resignation. Chakankar is under a cloud after her links with a dubious spiritual healer Ashok Kharat who is accused in a rape case and is accussed of sexually exploiting several women. Kharat is being dubbed as 'Maharashtra's Epstein'.

Chakankar after submitting her resignation to Party President and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar told media persons that she did not know about Kharat. " I and my husband did consider him my guru four to five years back and we did participate in a few events. However we don't know what someone would do four to five years later in life,we don't know what someone does in their personal life.... I have now resigned from the post for a fair probe."

While Chakankar claimed that she had resigned for a fair probe, sources said that her resignation came after Fadnavis asked her to immediately put in her papers. “Chakankar was called for a meeting with the Chief Minister where he asked her that her position as the chairperson of the Women’s commission is untenable and she should resign immediately.”said sources.


Chakankar had prior to meeting Fadnavis had met with DGP Sadanand Date, after meeting Fadnavis Chakankar who is a NCP leader has gone to meet NCP National President and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar.

Chakankar is under the heat for her close association Ashok Kharat a self-proclaimed spiritual leader from Maharashtra who has been arrested in a sexual assault case. Kharat was arrested from Nashik in a rape case on Wednesday. Kharat is being dubbed as Maharashtra’s Epstein as there are allegations that Kharat plied women with intoxicants and sexually assaulted them and videotaped the act. There are allegations that there are at least 58 such videos recorded by Kharat. Social Activist Anjali Damania has claimed that there are at least hundred victims of Kharat who have been sexually exploited by him. Damania said that she has spoken to seven victims of Kharat and there are more victims who are now coming forward.

Chakankar has been linked with Kharat as she is also a trustee in one of Kharat’s temple trust. There are photos and videos of Kharat washing the feet of Kharat and even claiming that Kharat is her ‘guru’ and has claimed that Kharat is an ideal person. There are allegations that Chakankar may have also shielded Kharat from such allegations in the past.

There has been demand from the Maharashtra opposition for a deeper probe into Kharat and also Chakankar’s resignation. The opposition has claimed that Kharat was luring people claiming that he was practicing black magic and then exploiting them. Incidentally atleast one women leader from within the NCP has not just echoed the opposition demand for the resignation of Chakankar but also demanded that the police should also file an FIR against her. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has constituted an SIT under IPS Tejaswi Satpute to probe the case.