Overview
- MNS chief Raj Thackeray publicly alleged that roughly Rs 18 crore a year was siphoned from Siddhivinayak donations, triggering renewed scrutiny of the shrine.
- Trust members led by trustee Rahul Londhe examined donation boxes and CCTV footage and said recordings showed employees taking cash for VIP darshan, which led to Mumbai police arresting nine temple employees.
- Following a trust delegation’s briefing on changes in collections from 2023 to 2026, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday ordered a comprehensive probe and asked officials to examine up to five years of financial records.
- Trust chair Sada Sarvankar blamed earlier administrations for the irregularities while former chair Vishakha Raut rejected that attribution, deepening a political dispute within Shiv Sena factions over responsibility.
- The inquiry will include financial forensics and evidence review and could prompt criminal charges, administrative changes at the trust, and renewed scrutiny of donation handling at major temples nationwide.