Embezzlement of valuables and money by ‘Mandir Sansthan’ of Shri Tuljabhavani Temple

Report of State Crime Investigation Department : Elected representatives and Govt. administrative officers pressurize to amend the report !

There have been many examples of corruption in temples managed by the Government. Establishment of Hindu Rashtra is therefore, inevitable for taking stringent action against the corrupt and for handing over management of temples to devotees instead of Government’s management ! – Editor, Dainik Sanatan Prabhat

Black clouds of corruption

Tuljapur : Devotees make offerings of valuable things and money at the feet of Maharashtra’s ‘Kulswamini’ Shri Tulja Bhavani Mata with immense faith but the temple committee has misappropriated temple property which includes 39 kgs of gold and 608 kgs of silver. State CID has recommended filing of criminal cases against 42 persons in its report. Accordingly, Investigation Department has filed cases against concerned officers; among them are 11 District Collectors and 8 mayors. It has also been exposed in the inquiry report submitted by Investigation Department that the elected representatives and Government’s administrative officers forced to amend the report. (It shows that the investigating agencies have become puppets in the hands of elected representatives and Government’s administrative officers. What steps is the State Govt. going to take for conducting impartial inquiry by investigating agencies ? – Editor, Dainik Sanatan Prabhat) 

1. In the ‘simhaasan’ donation box of Shri Tulja Bhavani Mandir, the temple management and contractors have jointly created anarchy during the period of 20 years, from 1991 to 2010 which has been exposed now. During this period, State CID was conducting inquiry into the money laundering.

2. The temple is run on rules passed during Nizam’s regime, known as ‘Deul-e-Kavayat’ and still there is no change. (Why Nizam’s rule is still governing temple even after 69 years of independence ? Will it be wrong if people feel that all Governments ruling the State so far are responsible for this mess ? – Editor, Dainik Sanatan Prabhat) Dharashiv’s District Collector is the President of ‘Mandir Sansthan’, Tuljapur’s MLA, Mayor, Dy. Regional officer and Tehsildar are its members.

3. Nine Dy. regional officers, 9 Tehsildars, 10 contractors and 14 employees managing the temple are involved in the money-laundering of temple money, worth millions of rupees.

4. In last 20 years, ten contractors have looted the temple of its valuable ornaments amounting to billions of rupees and cognizable criminal cases should be filed against them, says the report.

Blame on MLA and 11 administrative officers

A MLA, who is also a trustee of the ‘Mandir Sansthan’ and administrative officers viz. Anil Pawar, Sanjaykumar, Rajeshkumar, Madhukar Kokate, Surendrakumar Bagade, Sanjay Agrawal, S. Chokkilagam, Ashish Sharma, besides few other persons, are responsible for pressurizing and changing the report 3 times. The report says that the Government should take necessary action against them.

Misappropriation of billions of rupees ?

Mandir Sansthan did not at all cooperate with State CID and officers of Sansthan suppressed information from them; therefore, they had to take stock of gold, silver and cash in donation box; from the year 2010 in descending order with assumption of 15 % less in every earlier year for calculations. Accordingly, in last 20 years, the temple has been robbed of 39 kgs of gold, 608 kgs of silver. The rates of gold and silver have been taken as prevalent in the respective years; therefore, misappropriation of only Rs. 7.19 crores has been recorded when the actual missing gold has been suspected to be more than 200 kgs. (Ref : ABP Maza news channel, 23.8.2016)

Success of fight given by Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) and Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad (HVP) against malpractices in various ‘Devasthanas’

From the year 2013, HJS and HVP have been exposing malpractices observed in managing different temples. Case was filed in 2014 against scam committed in managing Shri Vitthal-Rukmini Mandir at Pandharpur and more than 350 acres of land was reclaimed for Devasthan. In the year 2015, many scams related to management of 3067 temples by Pashchim Maharashtra Devasthan Vyavasthapan Samiti have been exposed and their investigations have been handed over to State CID. It is also exposed that donations given by devotees at Shri Siddhivinayak Temple, were given for non-Hindus and similar fight is also going on against mismanagement of Tuljapur Devasthan. A PIL has been filed with Mumbai High Court’s Sambhajinagar Bench. The High Court has strongly admonished investigating agencies and stated in its order that ‘Investigating agencies’ work is not satisfactory. Secretaries of Home, Revenue and Law and Justice Departments so also Dharashiv District Collector should submit a report within 8 weeks on what steps have been taken by them.’

‘Shri Tulja Bhavani Sanrakshak Kruti Samiti’ has been set up with the initiative of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti. HJS recently held a press conference and demanded that the State Government should take action on its own without waiting for Court’s orders and bring out before citizens, names of persons involved in robbing Devasthan’s money and take severe action against them. As a result, State CID, that didn’t do anything for last 6 years, was forced to take further action.

Extent of temple scam is very large

It was mentioned in the news of ABP Maza that 39 kgs of gold and 608 kgs of silver has been looted but in reality, 120 kgs of gold and Rs. 240 crores have been missing. There was also illegal transfer of 265 acres of land in the name of 77 persons, which was carried out on 20th July 2008. It was exposed by the then District Collector Dr. Pravin Gedam in his inquiry; therefore, it will be observed that extent of actual scam is quite huge.

Source : Dainik Sanatan Prabhat