Manager of Pilgrim Lodge Booked for Forgery at Alandi Temple
An FIR has been officially registered against the manager of a prominent dharmashala, or pilgrim lodge, in Alandi for his alleged involvement in creating and distributing counterfeit entry passes for the famous Shri Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj temple. The Alandi police station of the Pimpri Chinchwad police is handling the case, which was filed on Sunday, November 16, 2025.
The Complaint and The Accused
The complaint was lodged by Tukaram Mane (46), an office bearer of the Shri Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Mandir Sansthan, the trust that manages the temple. Based on his formal complaint, the police have booked Shivaji Vishwanath Patil, the manager of the 'Dange Panch Dharmashala' in Alandi. He has been charged under sections 340(1) and 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) pertaining to forgery.
How the Forgery Was Uncovered
According to Police Sub-Inspector Tukaram Khadke, the investigating officer, the temple sansthan issues special entry passes to important persons on specific occasions. The scam came to light when, on a regular Sunday with no special event, a few devotees arrived at the temple holding these passes. The passes bore the signature of Shri Yogi Niranjan Nath Guru Shantinath, the head of the temple sansthan.
The security personnel at the temple became suspicious as no such passes had been officially issued for that day. They immediately alerted the temple management, who then proceeded to inform the police, leading to the registration of the FIR.
In his statement, PSI Khadke confirmed that no arrests have been made so far, but a notice has been issued to the accused, Shivaji Patil. The investigation is ongoing to determine the motive behind the creation of the fake passes. Initial findings suggest that the devotees who used the forged documents were linked to the Dange Panch Dharmashala. "So far we have not found any financial fraud in this case," Khadke added.
The Significance of the Alandi Temple
The Shri Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj temple in Alandi is one of the most significant pilgrimage sites in Maharashtra. It houses the Samadhi (final resting place) of the 13th-century Marathi saint, Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj, who is a deeply revered figure in the state's Warkari tradition, drawing millions of devotees annually.
