MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a detailed investigation into an alleged Rs 18-crore annual theft from the donation collections of Mumbai’s Siddhivinayak Temple.
Fadnavis said officials had been asked to examine the temple’s donation records for the last five years and investigate major changes in collections during the period.
“I have asked to submit the probe report at the earliest, and if someone is found guilty, then action would be taken against them,” Fadnavis said.
The decision came after representatives of the Siddhivinayak Temple Trust met Fadnavis and presented details of the temple’s donations from 2023 to 2026. The trust is headed by former Shiv Sena MLA Sada Sarvankar, with BJP and NCP leaders among its members.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has also sought an independent inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the temple’s donation collections.
MNS chief Raj Thackeray was the first to raise the allegation of Rs 18 crore being siphoned off from the temple every year. While addressing his party’s student wing, Thackeray read out a letter from the temple trust to Shinde, highlighting the alleged theft and seeking a probe.
Thackeray claimed that weekly donations, which were below Rs 50 lakh before the alleged irregularities came to light, increased to around Rs 1.5 crore after action was taken against those allegedly involved.
Police questioned 48 people and arrested eight in connection with the alleged theft. However, a local court granted them bail citing lack of evidence. Temple employees and priests were also accused of taking money from donation boxes and accepting bribes for VIP darshan. Police are investigating the allegations.
After meeting Shinde, Sarvankar said donation collections had increased significantly after action was taken against employees. He said weekly collections that were earlier around Rs 50 lakh later rose to between Rs 75 lakh and Rs 95 lakh, while collections during periods of heavy footfall touched around Rs 1.5 crore.
According to Sarvankar, the temple recorded Rs 182 crore in donations this year, compared with Rs 137 crore last year and Rs 104 crore in 2022-23.
The state government’s investigation is expected to examine the temple’s donation records and determine whether any financial irregularities took place.