Godman’s Aide, Wife Killed in Samruddhi Expressway Crash
Car rams stationary truck in Ahilyanagar; son critically injured
GG News Bureau
Ahilyanagar, 18th April: Two people, including a close associate of jailed self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, were killed after their car rammed into a stationary container truck on the Mumbai–Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway in Maharashtra’s Ahilyanagar district on Friday, police said.
The deceased have been identified as Jitendra Shelke (55) and his wife Anuradha Shelke (50). Their son sustained serious injuries and is undergoing treatment at a hospital.
The accident occurred around noon near Dhotre village under the Kopargaon police station limits, about 250 km from Mumbai.
Shelke, who was driving the car, was travelling with his family from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to Thane when he reportedly lost control of the vehicle, which then crashed into a container truck parked on the roadside.
Police said Shelke was a close associate and business partner of Ashok Kharat and also served as vice-president of the Shivanika Trust linked to the godman.
All three occupants sustained severe injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital, where Shelke and his wife were declared dead on arrival.
An accidental death case has been registered at the Kopargaon Police Station.
Superintendent of Police Somnath Gharge said authorities, along with RTO officials and automobile experts, will conduct a detailed crash analysis to determine the exact cause of the accident.
