Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a detailed probe into the donation collections of the iconic Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai, directing officials to scrutinise the temple’s records for the past five years and establish the reasons behind significant fluctuations in collections.
The Chief Minister has sought the inquiry report at the earliest. The decision followed a meeting between Fadnavis and representatives of the Siddhivinayak Temple Trust, who presented details of the temple’s donation collections from 2023 to 2026.
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The controversy gained momentum after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray alleged that around Rs 18 crore a year was being siphoned off from the temple’s donations. The allegation, however, has not been established and is among the issues expected to be examined during the inquiry.
The probe will also look into alleged irregularities involving temple employees. According to the trust, nine employees were caught after suspected discrepancies were detected in the handling of donations, following which action was taken against them and the police were approached.
Trust Chairman Sada Sarvankar, a former Shiv Sena MLA, said the trust noticed a substantial rise in donations after action was taken against the employees. He claimed that weekly collections, which had earlier averaged around Rs 50 lakh, subsequently increased to between Rs 75 lakh and Rs 95 lakh. During periods of heavy pilgrim footfall, weekly collections reportedly touched nearly Rs 1.5 crore.
Sarvankar also said the trust had detected instances in which devotees allegedly handed money directly to priests or other persons instead of depositing it in donation boxes. The trust subsequently instructed priests and staff that all such offerings must be deposited in the designated donation boxes.
Sharp rise in annual collections
The temple’s reported annual donation figures have also drawn attention. According to Sarvankar, the Siddhivinayak Temple received around Rs 182 crore in donations this year, compared with Rs 137 crore last year and Rs 104 crore in 2022-23.
The sharp rise has prompted questions over the factors behind the changing collection pattern and whether the increase reflects higher footfall and donations or points to deficiencies in the earlier system of collection and accounting.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had earlier called for an independent inquiry into the alleged irregularities.
The latest investigation ordered by Fadnavis is expected to examine donation records, collection procedures, financial data and complaints over the five-year period. Officials will also assess whether discrepancies, if any, were caused by theft, administrative lapses, inadequate monitoring or other shortcomings.
The temple trust has maintained that it was itself keen on an official investigation after noticing differences in collection figures. The findings of the government-ordered probe are now expected to determine whether the allegations have any substance and whether further action is warranted.
