India, March 31 -- The arrest of Nashik-based self-proclaimed godman Ashok Kharat has once again pulled back the curtain on a troubling and deeply entrenched phenomenon across Maharashtra - the rise of fraudulent spiritual figures who build powerful empires by exploiting faith, fear and vulnerability.

What investigators are uncovering in the Kharat case goes beyond allegations of sexual abuse. Police say it points to a wider ecosystem - a shadow industry where belief is monetised, followers are controlled, and influence extends into social and sometimes political spaces.

Officials and activists argue that Kharat is not an isolated figure. Across Maharashtra, similar patterns have surfaced repeatedly over the years, involving self-styled...