18 crore donation fraud in Maharashtra temple: probe ordered
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Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered an investigation into alleged large-scale financial irregularities involving donations to Mumbai’s Siddhivinayak Temple, directing officials to audit the trust’s financial transactions and records from the past five years.
The order came after temple trust officials met Fadnavis on Thursday and submitted detailed donation records for the 2023–2026 period. The chief minister subsequently instructed authorities to examine records from earlier years as well to establish whether the temple’s finances were properly accounted for.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray had alleged that ₹18 crore in donations to the temple was misappropriated. A preliminary investigation following the allegation reportedly led to nine temple employees being taken into custody.
The Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple receives crores of rupees every year through offerings and trust donations. Its reported donation income rose sharply to ₹182 crore this year from ₹137 crore the previous year, adding further significance to scrutiny of its financial records.
The development comes amid continuing controversy over alleged irregularities involving donations to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, had alleged that crores of rupees offered by devotees were misappropriated. The Uttar Pradesh government subsequently formed a Special Investigation Team to examine the allegations, with the probe continuing following Supreme Court intervention.
The Ayodhya investigation has focused particularly on employees involved in counting donations, with several people, including trust officials, reportedly taken into custody.
