Pune: FIR Filed Over Fake Entry Passes Issued For Shri Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Temple In Alandi
Pune: FIR Filed Over Fake Entry Passes Issued For Shri Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Temple In Alandi
Pune, November 18, 2025: An FIR has been registered against the manager of a pilgrim lodge in Alandi for allegedly creating and distributing fake entry passes for the Shri Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj temple, one of Maharashtra’s most significant pilgrimage sites.
The complaint was filed by Tukaram Mane (46), an office bearer of the Shri Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Mandir Sansthan, which oversees the temple’s administration. Mane approached the Alandi police station on Sunday after devotees arrived with suspicious entry passes that appeared to bear the signature of Shri Yogi Niranjan Nath Guru Shantinath, the head of the temple trust.
Police have booked Shivaji Vishwanath Patil, manager of the Dange Panch Dharmashala in Alandi, under sections 340(1) and 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). According to police sub-inspector Tukaram Khadke, who is investigating the case, the temple trust issues special entry passes only on specific occasions for VIP access. However, no such passes were authorised on Sunday.
Security personnel at the temple flagged the issue after discovering the passes were counterfeit. The matter was escalated to the temple management, prompting police intervention and the registration of a forgery case.
No arrests have been made so far. A notice has been issued to the accused, and further investigation is underway. Preliminary findings suggest that the devotees carrying the fake passes were connected to the Dange Panch Dharmashala. The motive behind issuing these passes is still being probed, and no financial fraud has been established yet.
The Shri Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj temple is a revered religious destination that houses the Samadhi of the 13th-century saint Dnyaneshwar Maharaj, deeply venerated in the Warkari tradition.
