India, May 9 -- The Kolhapur Police have arrested Mahesh Aher, a suspended Assistant Municipal Commissioner (AMC) of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), who had been absconding since April 20 after an FIR was registered against him for the alleged sexual exploitation of a female civic staffer. He has since been taken into custody by the Kasarvadavali police.

According to the complaint, Aher allegedly subjected the woman to repeated sexual exploitation over several years and also took her to the ashram of controversial self-styled godman Ashok Kharat in Nashik, where certain alleged aghori rituals involving her were conducted. Police are also probing the alleged rituals and Aher's association with Kharat.

According to the Kolhapur pol...