Kejriwal's sit-in protest continues

Vartha Bharati | 15-06-2018 | 10:44:00 IST

New Delhi, June 15: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his three Cabinet colleagues continued their sit-in protest at the Lt Governor's (LG) office on Friday despite no response from the Centre.

Kejriwal, along with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Cabinet ministers Satyendar Jain and Gopal Rai, has been camping in the Raj Niwas -- the official accommodation-cum-office of LG Anil Baijal -- since Monday evening.

They have been demanding a direction to the IAS officers working in the Delhi administration to end their undeclared strike, action against officers who have struck work for "four months" and approval to his government's proposal for doorstep delivery of ration to the poor.

Jain, who is on a hunger strike since Tuesday, in a tweet urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to look into the matter.

"Have been waiting in the LG office from last four nights, but he could not mange even four minutes time. I hope the Prime Minister will look into this," Jain tweeted.

Echoing same sentiments, Rai also tweeted adding that he hopes Modi will "be concerned about the fitness of the democracy in Delhi".

Summarising the journey so far, Kejriwal said in tweet: "There has been no response from the LG. I have asked him for time for a meeting. I had asked the Prime Minister to look into the matter, he too did not respond. Hope Delhi will soon find a solution."

On Thursday, Kejriwal in a letter sought Modi's intervention to end the IAS officers "strike", as there has been no communication from Baijal's office.

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has launched a social media campaign with the hashtag #ModijiForgiveDelhi. 

Party members posted videos requesting Modi to let the elected government work by instructing the IAS officers to join back work.

Since Monday, Baijal has been working from his residence, according to sources.

More political leaders and parties have come forward to express their support to the sit-in, with former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, actor-turned-politician Kamal Hassan and Shatrughan Sinha, and parties like the CPI and the CPI(M) being the latest to join the list.

Kejriwal's protest has already been backed by West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, RJD MP Manoj Jha, former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha.

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Nashik court sends ‘godman’ Kharat to seven-day judicial custody in third rape case

13-04-2026 ¦ 13-04-2026 IST

PC: NDTV

Nashik (PTI): A court in Maharashtra's Nashik on Monday remanded self-styled godman Ashok Kharat to judicial custody till April 20 in a third case of rape against him for allegedly sexually exploiting a pregnant woman.

The special investigation team (SIT) produced Kharat for a virtual hearing in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate B N Ichpurani as his police custody in the case ended on Monday.

The SIT presented the remand report and sought judicial custody for Kharat, a former merchant navy officer. The court then remanded him to a seven-day judicial custody till April 20.

In the third case, Kharat, who was first arrested in mid-March, is accused of sexually exploiting a seven-month pregnant woman, the wife of his office staffer.

According to the complaint lodged by the victim's husband, the accused sexually assaulted the survivor on multiple occasions, including in his office in Nashik, between November 2023 and December 2025.

Kharat also conducted a ritual with the pregnant woman at a temple in Mirgaon village of Sinnar taluka of the district, it said.

Although the victim informed her husband about her plight, he did not believe her. But when he heard about complaints of Kharat's misbehaviour with other women, he planted a spy camera in the astrologer's office to find out the truth and recorded his acts.

The employee later handed over to the police a pen drive containing objectionable videos of the 'godman'.

Kharat faces nearly a dozen cases, eight of them related to sexual assaults.

The SIT, meanwhile, has filed an application in the court demanding Kharat's custody in another case. As the court granted them the necessary permission, the team will take the accused's custody from the Nashik Road Central Jail.

Kharat will be produced in court again in the fourth case on Tuesday.