Social activist Anjali Damania alleged on Friday that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde made 17 calls from his cellphone to self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, who was arrested in a sexual assault case last month.

“There are 17 recorded calls. His single longest conversation lasted 21 minutes. Of the 17 calls, 10 were incoming, and seven were outgoing,” she claimed. “It is necessary that he explain the context of these conversations.”

Damania also accused Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Rupali Chakankar, who recently stepped down as the state women’s commission chief following the controversy surrounding Kharat, of making 177 calls to him.

She also alleged that BJP minister Chandrakant Patil and NCP state president Sunil Tatkare made eight calls each to Kharat. Damania said that these were standard cellular calls, adding that information regarding WhatsApp calls was unavailable.

Ten cases have been registered against Kharat so far. Of these, eight were related to the alleged sexual exploitation of women under the pretext of resolving their problems through “divine powers”, and two involved cheating and extortion.

Sharing the call detail record (CDR) on social media, Damania alleged that Rupali made a total of 177 calls to Kharat. “The total duration of their conversation stands at 33,727 seconds,” she said, adding that Rupali’s sister, Pratibha, made 236 calls to him.

“Various agencies often come across such information, but I am revealing this because the general public deserves to know. If you look at the data, the highest frequency of contact is with family members or close associates, followed immediately by Rupali Chakankar. Speaking for over 33,000 seconds with Kharat is significant,” she said.

Reacting to the allegations, Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat said, “Wait and watch, everything will be revealed. People should have a little patience, as the truth will soon be exposed.”

Shirsat requested that the controversy not be given a political turn. “Looking at the way this is being handled [by the Opposition], it feels as though efforts are being made to save Kharat instead of bringing him to justice,” he said.