MUMBAI, April 14 -- The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday conducted searches at 11 locations across three cities in Maharashtra as part of its money laundering probe against self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, who was arrested by the Nashik police last month for allegedly sexually abusing several women and duping businessmen and farmers. The locations where searches were conducted included residential and commercial properties of Kharat and his relatives and associates in Nashik, Shirdi and Pune, officers familiar with the matter said. The operation covered the premises of his chartered accountant (CA) Prakash Pophale, they noted. The ED's case, registered around a week ago, is based on a First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Nashik police regarding Kharat allegedly extorting Rs.4-5 crore from a businessman on multiple pretexts in 2018-19. The businessman, who works in the real estate and construction sector, alleged that the self-styled godman had also coerced him to transfer the ownership of his luxury car worth Rs.90 lakh to him in 2018. The ED's money-trail probe, which is at a preliminary stage, indicates that Kharat controlled several accounts at two co-operative credit societies headquartered in Nashik. Though the accounts were held in others' names, the accused godman stood as nominee in all cases and attached his own mobile number to the accounts, allowing him to exercise control over their operations, investigators said. The agency is currently scrutinising transaction details of such accounts. The ED has also found that Kharat allegedly sold common objects to his followers at heightened rates, claiming they were blessed items and possessed divine healing powers. The funds thus collected, as well as through extortion operations, were used to purchase multiple plots through his CA, Prakash Pophale, and his sons, investigators said. The predicate FIR, based on which the ED registered its money-laundering case on April 6, covered offences related to alleged religious manipulation and drug-facilitated assaults on innocent victims including women. The predicate FIR was registered by Nashik's Sarkarwada police station on March 25. The ED's probe could spell further trouble for Kharat, who has been remanded in judicial custody by a Nashik court till April 14. Thirteen cases have so far been registered against the self-styled godman, including four cases of cheating based on complaints from three businessmen based in Mumbai, Pune and Ahilyanagar and a Shirdi-based farmer. On April 5, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced in Nashik that the ED had taken cognisance of Kharat's alleged dubious financial dealings and it would launch a probe against him soon. Investigators had found many bogus bank accounts belonging to Kharat from which he had made numerous transactions, Fadnavis had said, and assured that all his wrongdoings and illegal assets would be exposed....