The Siddhivinayak Temple Trust has come under fresh scrutiny after allegations of missing donation funds. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray claimed that Rs 18 crore disappears from the temple every year. Soon after, the Maharashtra Law and Judiciary Department asked the trust to submit a detailed financial report. Officials will decide the next steps after reviewing the findings.
The Siddhivinayak Temple Trust denied that the government’s action followed the political allegation. Instead, the trust said it had requested a complete audit in May 2026. Trustee Rahul Londhe explained that the department acted on the trust’s own request. The trust also rejected claims that it had written a letter to Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde about the alleged loss.
Maharashtra seeks report as Siddhivinayak Trust denies Rs 18 crore donation theft claim.
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Meanwhile, trust president and Minister of State Sada Sarvankar said the trustees noticed irregularities in donation collections earlier this year. Therefore, they approached the Anti-Corruption Bureau for help. Officers were deployed at the temple to monitor the situation. According to Sarvankar, the investigation began after suspicious activity around donation boxes came to light.
Police registered a theft case after temple authorities found cash missing from a donation box on March 20. Initially, the complaint mentioned Rs 10,000. However, investigators later recovered Rs 80,000 during the probe. CCTV footage reportedly showed several people removing cash repeatedly over nearly 10 days. Police arrested nine people in connection with the case. A chargesheet has also been filed, and all accused are currently out on bail.
The Siddhivinayak Temple Trust maintains that it supports a transparent investigation. The state government will examine the financial report before taking further action. At present, the Rs 18 crore claim remains an allegation and has not been officially confirmed. The audit and police investigation are expected to provide greater clarity on the matter.
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