Rupali Chakankar officially resigned on Friday and gave personal reasons for doing so. This happened as politicians were increasing pressure on her because of her alleged relationship with Ashok Kharat, who claims to be a holy man. Kharat was arrested in Nashik for sexual harassment and rape and this caused a lot of trouble.
Resignation letter and formal steps
In a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Chakankar formally asked him to allow her to resign from her position with the Maharashtra State Commission for Women. She thanked him for the chance to do the work and said she hopes to continue getting support in the future.
Her resignation won’t be official until it’s formally approved by the person who appointed her. People with knowledge of the situation say that Fadnavis told her to resign during a meeting in Mumbai. After that, Chakankar met Sunetra Pawar, the Nationalist Congress Party national president and deputy chief minister, and gave her the resignation letter.
Allegations against Ashok ‘Captain’ Kharat and the probe launched
Ashok Kharat, also known as Captain Kharat, was arrested in Nashik. He’s been accused of sexually attacking women, spreading videos of them, and taking advantage of his followers. People are drawing comparisons between this case and other very public scandals where spiritual leaders have abused their positions, and are saying that many women were victimized and the assaults were even recorded.
The state government has ordered a special investigation team, led by IPS officer Tejasvi Satpute, to investigate the allegations. The team will look at the claims made, the video evidence that exists, and whether anyone who worked with or was a trustee with Kharat helped him to hide his actions.
Political pressure, public images, and accusations of proximity
Chakankar is a trustee of a charity in Sinnar where Kharat was the president. She received a lot of criticism when photos and videos appeared of her washing Kharat’s feet and holding an umbrella over his head. Because of these images, politicians from the opposition and activists called for her to be removed from her position.
Those in the opposition and people who campaign for social change said she’s morally at fault and wanted a more complete investigation of what she did. Even some people in Chakankar’s own political party wanted stronger action, and said a police complaint should be filed against her if there’s proof she was involved or tried to destroy evidence.
Chakankar’s public response and call for a high-level inquiry
Chakankar insists she has done nothing wrong and says she didn’t know Kharat was committing the crimes he’s now accused of. She called the widely shared videos politically motivated and said she is dedicated to a fair investigation and will give the police her full cooperation.
She said on social media that she gave the chief minister a letter from the commission asking for a serious investigation so that “the truth is revealed and strict punishment is given to the accused.” She also said she is resigning to “take moral responsibility” so that the investigation can happen without problems.
Implications for the women’s commission and next steps
Chakankar’s resignation makes people question how trustworthy the institution is at a time when victims are looking for justice quickly. The leadership of the commission needs to be made open and honest so the public will continue to trust it and so survivors and witnesses will continue to receive support.
The very first things that will happen are the formal acceptance of her resignation, a thorough and fair investigation by the special team, and a careful review of any other complaints or police reports. Those watching the situation say the authorities must make the process clear, preserve evidence, protect the victims, and avoid political involvement in the investigation.
