MUMBAI, April 23 -- The Enforcement Directorate (ED)'s money-laundering investigation against arrested self-styled godman Ashok Kharat has revealed that a substantial amount of cash was allegedly deposited in 60 accounts controlled by him at a Nashik-based co-operative credit society, according to officials aware of the developments. The agency is examining all transactions, including deposits and withdrawals, linked to the 60 accounts at the co-operative society, Samatha Nagri Sahakari Pathsanstha, to determine whether they are linked to proceeds of crime in the money laundering case it has registered, officials said. Kharat was arrested in Nashik last month on charges including rape, sexual assault, promoting superstition, extortion and money laundering. The ED launched a money-laundering probe on April 6 and has since conducted searches at several locations linked to Kharat across Maharashtra. The focus of the ED's money-trail probe, which is at a preliminary stage, is on another arrested accused, AP Bawke, a suspected Kharat aide who allegedly accompanied the account holders when cash was deposited in the credit society accounts, officials said. On April 18, a Mumbai court allowed the ED to record Bawke's statement, after the agency submitted that the matter "involves a huge amount of proceeds of crime and the charges are serious in nature". Bawke is currently in judicial custody and lodged at a jail in Ahilyanagar district. The probe has indicated that Kharat allegedly controlled several accounts at two co-operative credit societies headquartered in Nashik. Though the accounts were held in others' names, Kharat was listed as the nominee in all cases, and his mobile number was linked to the accounts, allowing him to control them, officials said. The agency is currently scrutinising the transaction details of these accounts. Last week, the ED conducted 12 searches at several locations linked to Kharat, his relatives and associates across Nashik, Pune, and Shirdi. It froze bank funds worth around Rs.2.4 crore, seized Rs.42 lakh in suspected unaccounted cash, and recovered around 90 property documents estimated to be worth several crores during these searches, officials said. The agency also seized a high-end Mercedes-Benz SUV allegedly linked to Kharat. The predicate First Information Report registered by the Nashik police, 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 and sophisticated extortion. The Nashik police's case pertained to allegations of Kharat extorting 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....