Forty-seven officials from the Shirdi Sai Sansthan Trust have been booked for the theft of electrical materials valued at ₹77.13 lakh. Officials said the case was registered on Friday following the court’s directive.
Social activist Sanjay Kale exposed alleged irregularities in the temple administration, revealing a scam involving theft of electrical materials and misuse of electricity meant for the temple premises and related facilities.
Kale stated that, between 2017 and 2023, electrical materials were stolen through false entries in the trust’s departmental records.
Kale claimed that no action was taken either by the police or the temple trust; hence, he had approached the Chatrapati Sambhajinagar Bench of the Bombay High Court, and accordingly, as per the direction of the court, an FIR has been filed.
Amol Bharti, sub-divisional police officer, Shirdi, said, “An FIR has been filed against 47 individuals, including officers and workers from the electrical department of the Sai Sansthan Trust.”
Goraksha Gadilkar, chief executive officer (CEO) of Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, said, “We have issued notices to the accused, out of which 39 have paid the said amount. Three of the total accused have died, and further investigation is underway.”
{{/usCountry}}Goraksha Gadilkar, chief executive officer (CEO) of Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, said, “We have issued notices to the accused, out of which 39 have paid the said amount. Three of the total accused have died, and further investigation is underway.”
{{/usCountry}}According to Gadilkar, the accused Rahul Ingawale was already suspended in the case. Now recovery from four staffers is pending, and the court has given them one month’s time to pay the said amount.
A case has been filed under sections 379, 381,408,409,465,467,471, 120 (b) of the BNS, and further investigation is going on.