Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai

Mumbai, Apr 18: In a tragic accident on the Samruddhi Expressway in Maharashtra’s Ahilyanagar district, a close associate of jailed self-styled godman Ashok Kharat and his wife were killed after their car rammed into a stationary container truck on Saturday. Their son sustained serious injuries in the mishap.

The deceased have been identified as Jitendra Shelke (55) and his wife Anuradha (50). Their son is currently battling for his life at a local hospital, according to police officials.

The incident occurred around 12 noon near Dhotre village, within the jurisdiction of the Kopargaon police station, approximately 250 km from Mumbai. The family was travelling from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to Thane.

As they reached the Dhotre stretch of the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway, the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, leading to a high-speed collision with a container truck parked on the side of the highway. While all three were rushed to the hospital with severe injuries, the couple succumbed during treatment.

Jitendra Shelke was known to be a key aide and business partner of Ashok Kharat, a Nashik-based self-styled astrologer and "godman." Kharat is currently behind bars facing serious charges of rape and fraud. Shelke was reportedly involved in managing several of Kharat's business interests.

Kopargaon police have registered a case of accidental death and are investigating whether overspeeding or driver fatigue led to the fatal crash.