SIT formed to probe land-grabbing charges involving Tuljabhavani temple

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The Dharashiv district administration has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe large-scale land-grabbing allegations involving the Tuljabhavani temple, following instructions from state govt.Collector Keerthi Kiran Pujar said the three-member SIT had been tasked with examining revenue records, verifying legal titles of land parcels, and probing complaints related to the alleged encroachments. “Given the extensive and complex nature of the inquiry, no deadline has been fixed for report submission. But, the SIT has been told to complete its work at the earliest,” he said.The probe was initiated after a religious organisation — Rashtriya Mandir Mahasangh — submitted a written complaint to the revenue department on June 25, alleging large-scale encroachment of temple land.

Subsequently, revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule directed the Dharashiv administration on June 29 to investigate the allegations.Sunil Ghanwat of the Rashtriya Mandir Mahasangh cited state govt records and alleged that the erstwhile Nizam govt of Hyderabad had allotted 4,122 acres of land to the Tuljabhavani temple. “At present, the temple trust claims ownership of only around 400 acres. We believe the remaining land was encroached upon over different periods, with the involvement of govt officials and temple trustees at various times,” he alleged.The SIT is headed by an officer of the rank of additional collector and includes the sub-divisional officer and the govt pleader attached to the district and sessions court as members.