Maharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday issued orders to conduct a comprehensive probe into alleged irregularities regarding donations at Mumbai’s famous Siddhivinayak Temple. CM Fadnavis directed the officials concerned to scrutinise the shrine’s past five years’ records, an official familiar with the development said.

The decision came against the backdrop of allegations by Raj Thackeray, chief of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), who had earlier alleged that as much as Rs 18 crore was being siphoned off from the temple’s donations every year. Notably, nine employees attached to the temple had already been arrested in connection with the case, and the state’s Deputy CM, Eknath Shinde had also raised demands for an independent inquiry into the alleged irregularities. 

Delegation from temple trust meets CM Fadnavis

Officials aware of the development said a delegation from the Siddhivinayak Temple Trust recently met CM Fadnavis and submitted details of the shrine’s collections registered between 2023 and 2026. 

Post-meeting, CM Fadnavis directed the officials to conduct an in-depth examination of the temple’s records for the past five years and submit the investigation report as soon as possible. The scrutiny is expected to examine the temple’s financial records and the circumstances surrounding the alleged discrepancies in donations. 

Shinde had sought independent probe

The controversy soon emerged as a focal point in Maharashtra politics after Thackeray alleged that nearly Rs 18 crore was allegedly being siphoned off annually from donations made at the prominent shrine dedicated to Lord Ganesha. 

Last month, Deputy CM Shinde had sought an independent probe into the alleged irregularities and had directed officials to initiate the process. Since the time Thackeray made the statements, scrutiny of the temple’s financial management and donation-handling mechanisms have fallen under heightened scrutiny. 

Temple trust chairman confirms 9 arrests

Sada Sarvankar, chairman of the Siddhivinayak Temple Trust and a leader of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, informed earlier that nine employees had been arrested on charges of misappropriation of the donations.

The latest probe, which CM Fadnavis has ordered, will now cover the temple’s records over a five-year period and officials have been instructed to submit their findings at the earliest.