Udupi, Jul 19: Miss India Sini Shetty on Tuesday received a grand felicitation in her hometown of Udupi, organised by Buntara Yane Nadavara Mathr Sangha, Udupi taluk samiti and All Grameena Bunts Sangha.

Addressing the gathering in Tulu after the felicitation, Shetty said she was overwhelmed by the warm welcome, love and affection of the community and public.

She said her grandmother has been her motivation and parents have given wholehearted support to all her wishes. The Bunts community has also been supportive throughout.

Shetty said Miss World crown is her next aim and is preparing for the title. "I will visit Udupi again after that," she said.

Music director Gurukiran, who spoke at the function said Sini Shetty is the pride of India. Many Bunts community actresses from Mangaluru are ruling the glamour world today and getting fame and name as stars, he said, adding he appreciates Shetty's affection for her mother tongue.

Ajith Kumar Rai Maladi, president, Buntara Yane Nadavara Mathr Sangha presided over the programme. Businessman Gurme Suresh Shetty, Sini Shetty's father Innanje Sadanand Shetty, mother Hema Shetty, felicitation committee convener Jayaraj Hegde and others were present.

Earlier in the day, Sini Shetty was accorded a warm welcome in Udupi town and taken in a procession from Jodukatte to Ammanni Rammanni Shetty hall. She also offered prayers at the Siddivinayaka temple.

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Nashik (PTI): Police took custody of self-proclaimed godman-cum-astrologer Ashok Kharat in an eighth case related to sexual exploitation of women and produced him before a Nashik district court which sent him to jail till May 12 after rejecting the plea for his police remand on Thursday.

On April 29, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Nashik police in north Maharashtra filed a request application in the court demanding Kharat's custody in the eighth case.

After the court granted them the necessary permission, the SIT took custody of Kharat, who was in jail in connection with the seventh case of sexual exploitation registered against him.

The 'godman', named in a dozen FIRs related to rape and financial fraud, was produced before Chief Judicial Magistrate B N Ichpurani in the eighth case through video conferencing due to security reasons.

The eighth case related to Kharat allegedly sexually exploiting a woman who had approached him in search of solutions to her family problems, according to police.

During the hearing, the prosecution demanded police custody of the accused in the latest case.

However, the defence strongly opposed the demand and argued that the SIT was giving same reasons for police custody every time and there was no strong reason for accepting their plea.

The court accepted the argument put forth by the defence and remanded Kharat to judicial custody till May 12 in the eighth case.

The SIT will produce Kharat in the court on Friday again and seek his police custody in the ninth case. As the self-styled godman has been granted judicial custody in the eighth case, he will be sent to Nashik Road Central Jail and the SIT will take his custody from there.

Meanwhile, Kharat's judicial custody in the fourth case ended on Thursday. On April 18, the accused was remanded to judicial custody till April 30 in the fourth case of sexual exploitation of women.

In a related development, the SIT conducted a search at Kharat's office in the 'Canada Corner' area of Nashik city on Wednesday. A 'panchnama' (record of search and seizure proceedings) was conducted and the office was locked and sealed again.

Kharat, a well-heeled man with political connections, was arrested for the first time on March 18 after a woman alleged he had repeatedly raped her for three years.

He is accused of sexually exploiting several women by claiming to have divine powers and knowledge of black magic, and also committing large-scale financial fraud.

The SIT is conducting a probe into 12 cases of sexual exploitation and financial fraud registered against the astrologer in Nashik and Ahilyanagar districts.