New Delhi, April 4 -- Activist Anjali Damania has claimed that Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde and rape-accused godman Ashok Kharat exchanged 17 phone calls during a previous undisclosed timeframe.

Speaking to a Marathi news channel on Friday, Damania added that several BJP and NCP figures also communicated with the self-styled spiritual leader before his arrest last month.

In response, Shinde-led Shiv Sena minister Uday Samant argued that simply making a phone call does not constitute a criminal offense.

Damania stated that she obtained Kharat's Call Detail Records (CDR) via WhatsApp from an anonymous source.

"There were 17 calls between Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde and Ashok Kharat," she said without specifying the period...