Mumbai, March 27 (NationPress) NCP leader Rupali Chakankar, caught up in the controversy surrounding the self-proclaimed godman Captain Ashok Kharat, has officially stepped down from her role as the head of the Maharashtra NCP women’s wing on Friday.

She has submitted her resignation to the NCP's national president and state Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar.

Chakankar had resigned from her position as the chairperson of the Maharashtra State Women’s Commission on March 20 amid opposition pressure but remained as the head of the NCP's women’s wing until now.

In a statement on X, Chakankar emphasized, “I have been clear about my position from the start regarding the Kharat case. There is no connection between his financial dealings and his misconduct; my stance remains unchanged—clear and firm. All these issues will undoubtedly be clarified during the investigation. The baseless, false allegations being spread via media without any proof are distressing. The truth will emerge strongly. I have already urged the Hon. Chief Minister, Hon. Deputy Chief Minister, and Hon. Director General of Police to ensure this investigation is carried out transparently and impartially. Following my discussion this morning with the esteemed Sunetra Pawar, I am resigning from my role as President of the Nationalist Congress Party Women's Wing.

Chakankar has faced criticism from the Congress, Shiv Sena UBT, and even from within her party due to her alleged connections with the fraudulent godman Ashok Kharat, who was arrested on March 18 and is currently being interrogated by a government-formed Special Investigation Team regarding multiple serious offenses, including rape and harassment of women.

After receiving directives from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to resign immediately, Chakankar met with Sunetra Pawar at her official residence 'Devgiri' last Friday. Shortly after their discussion, she formally submitted her resignation from the Maharashtra State Women’s Commission.

The Chief Minister had summoned Chakankar to his official residence 'Varsha' for a meeting, where he instructed her to resign immediately, a directive that was subsequently accepted.

These orders came just two days after the arrest of the self-proclaimed godman, Captain Ashok Kharat, in Nasik, who faces allegations of sexual harassment and rape. Chakankar was known to be a trustee of the Shri Shivnika Sansthan in Sinnar, Nasik district, an organization led by Kharat.

The call for her resignation intensified after a video surfaced showing her in a compromising position, engaged in a ritual act involving Kharat.

Pressure mounted for her to resign due to her perceived closeness to Ashok Kharat, who is described as a self-styled godman and numerologist from Nashik. Last Friday evening, she released a letter to Maharashtra DGP Sadanand Date, requesting a 'thorough, time-bound, and impartial' investigation into the allegations.

She also informed Date that the commission is monitoring the investigation closely and requested updates from the Nasik police commissioner.

Chakankar became embroiled in controversy after police seized a pen drive containing at least 58 video recordings of private moments involving various individuals.