Tuljapur Drugs Bust: Devotees shocked as ‘pujaris’ links emerge

Mumbai/Dharashiv: In a sensational development that has stunned the police, pandits and devotees alike, the two-month old probe into the Tuljapur temple town drugs cartel has unearthed an alleged nexus of some priests-cum- politicians in the scam.

According to police sources, around a dozen temple priests may be linked with the illicit drugs supply racket that was busted on Feb 14, sending shivers in the establishment.

Dharashiv Superintendent of Police Sanjay Jadhav confirmed to the media about the possible involvement of some priests, but declined to name them or the exact number of those (priests) who may face the music.

“We shall investigate the (accused) based on the evidence available with us, irrespective of what position they hold,” Jadhav said diplomatically.

He added "it would not be proper to point fingers at the entire priesthood" in this famed pilgrimage spot with historical importance.

Jadhav said that of the 35 suspects identified so far, 14 have been arrested and a hunt is on to trace the remaining 21 with police teams fanning out in several districts.

Though the Dharashiv Police have refused to name anyone, officials claimed that at least a dozen priests of the Shree Tulja Bhavani Temple are likely to be implicated in the drug peddling case.

More interestingly, as the probe enters the eighth week, it has come to light that some of the accused, including a few priests, are connected with the major political parties in the state. Taking umbrage, the Palikar Priests Board President Vipin Shinde contended that “the priests accused in the drugs scam are not connected with the daily purja or worship of Goddess Tulja Bhavani”.

“We have raised our voice against the narcotics racketeering thriving in Tuljapur for the last three years,” Shinde said.

The sacred Temple

The Shree Tulja Bhavani Temple, Tuljapur – one of the 51 Shakti Peeths in India –was deeply revered by the founder of the Maratha Empire, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

After the drug scam erupted in Feb. 2025, Dharashiv Guardian Minister Pratap Sarnaik had ordered the police to provide a detailed report on the drug expose matter within 72 hours, along with the names of the accused.

The Dharashiv Collector, Keerthi K. Pujar – who is also the Chairman of the temple trust – has sought the list of the priests purportedly accused in the drugs scam along with their political affiliations. This is billed as the first time in the state that a narco-peddling ring with political colours has been laid bare in a well-known pilgrimage centre, sparking concerns among the lakhs of pilgrims thronging there as well as the law-enforcers, say local bigwigs.