Amid the Ashok Kharat case another shocking and sensational case has emerged from Nashik, were a Ravindra Erande a businessman, self-proclaimed social worker, and journalist based in Satpur, who runs an organization promoting women’s empowerment has been arrested following serious allegations of sexual exploitation. The case initially came to light when a complaint was filed at Satpur Police Station regarding the theft of a hard disk from a laptop at Erande’s office.
During the investigation, Erande filed a separate complaint claiming that unidentified individuals were blackmailing him, using objectionable photographs and videos retrieved from the stolen hard disk, and demanding ₹12 lakh. The complainant had reportedly already paid Rs 10,000 to the extortionists before approaching the authorities. Acting on intelligence, Satpur Police, in collaboration with the Local Crime Branch, traced the suspects to the ‘Dahava Mile’ area near Adgaon. A police team successfully apprehended four men: Akash Bakre, Prakash Panpatil , Suraj Gavai , and Shripat Shinde. The suspects have been remanded to police custody until April 7.
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However, the case took a dramatic turn after one of the victim women came forward with a complaint against Erande himself. The victim alleged that Erande, under the pretext of helping her son secure a government job, lured her with promises of “a bright future” for her family and took her to various hotels in the Nashik and Igatpuri regions, where he repeatedly sexually exploited her. Following this complaint, a case was registered against Erande at Satpur Police Station, and he was arrested. The police seized four mobile phones, two pen drives, and one memory card from his possession.
The preliminary investigation has revealed shocking details. Erande is alleged to have engaged in intimate relationships with multiple women and secretly recorded these encounters. Authorities have recovered 121 video clips, dating from 2003 to 2024, depicting various women in an obscene manner. These materials are currently under verification. Deputy Commissioner of Police Kishore Kale stated that a Special Investigation Team, comprising personnel from the Ambad and Satpur police stations, has been formed to probe the matter while maintaining strict confidentiality. The police have appealed to other potential victims to come forward, assuring that their identities will be kept confidential.