Mumbai’s famous Shri Siddhivinayak Ganpati Temple Trust has come under the spotlight after eight trustees alleged large-scale theft of donations from the temple’s donation boxes. In a letter to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the trustees claimed the temple may have lost nearly Rs 18 crore every year due to alleged siphoning of cash and called for a high-level government investigation.
The trustees have also urged authorities to examine the possible role of senior officials, arguing that the alleged irregularities may not have been limited to lower-level staff.
Trustees Claim Sharp Rise in Donations After Employee Arrests
In a letter dated April 21, 2026, accessed by News18, the trustees pointed to a dramatic increase in weekly donation collections after employees accused of stealing cash were arrested.
According to the letter, the temple typically received less than Rs 50 lakh every week from its donation boxes before the arrests. However, during the three Wednesdays that followed, the collections reportedly jumped to around Rs 1.5 crore each week.
The trustees argued that this sudden surge strongly suggests that a significant portion of donations had been diverted before the counting process for a prolonged period.
Based on these figures, they estimated that the temple may have suffered losses of nearly Rs 18 crore annually.
Demand for Investigation Into Senior Officials
Beyond the alleged involvement of temple employees, the trustees claimed there were reasons to suspect that the operation may have extended to higher levels of the administration.
In the letter, they requested the Maharashtra government to order a comprehensive investigation into the matter, including the possible role of senior administrative officials associated with the temple’s management.
The trustees said only an independent, high-level inquiry could uncover the full extent of the alleged financial irregularities.
Trustees Highlight Revenue Growth
The letter was signed by trustees Atul Lodhe, Bhaskar Raut, Mahesh Murliadhar, Jitendra Raut, Meena Kamble, Mangala Tupe, Gopal Dalvi, and Sudarshan Sangale.
They also stated that the current board had increased the temple’s overall revenue by nearly 25% over the past one-and-a-half years through administrative reforms and improved management practices.
Raj Thackeray Raises Issue Publicly
The allegations gained political attention after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray referred to the trustees’ letter during an event organised by the party’s student wing.
Quoting from the letter, Thackeray alleged that approximately Rs 18 crore was being stolen from the Siddhivinayak Temple every year.
He further claimed that Rs 1,400 crore had been stolen from the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the issue.
Speaking at the event, Thackeray said that many distressed young people visit temples for hope, but even religious institutions are allegedly not free from corruption.
Nine Temple Employees Arrested
Responding to the controversy, Siddhivinayak Temple Trust Chairman Sada Sarvankar confirmed that nine employees have been arrested in connection with the alleged donation theft.
He stated that complaints have been filed wherever necessary and that law enforcement agencies are currently investigating the matter.
As the investigation progresses, authorities are expected to examine whether the alleged financial irregularities were limited to a few individuals or involved a wider network within the temple administration.