Siddhivinayak Temple Donation Row Explained: Arrests, Allegations And Now, A 5-Year Audit

Published 5 August 2026 · local

News cities mumbai-news Siddhivinayak Temple Donation Row Explained: Arrests, Allegations And Now, A 5-Year Audit Siddhivinayak Temple Donation Row Explained: Arrests, Allegations And Now, A

News cities mumbai-news Siddhivinayak Temple Donation Row Explained: Arrests, Allegations And Now, A 5-Year Audit Siddhivinayak Temple Donation Row Explained: Arrests, Allegations And Now, A 5-Year Audit Published By, Last Updated: August 05, 2026, 14:25 IST Deputy CM Eknath Shinde has ordered an audit of Siddhivinayak Temple's donations and valuables, reviving questions about the alleged donation scam. Here's what's happened so far. Trustees have alleged that some temple employees accepted money from devotees in exchange for facilitating VIP darshan. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has ordered a special five-year audit of cash donations, jewellery and other valuables received at Mumbai’s Siddhivinayak Temple, in the latest development in the temple’s alleged donation scam controversy. The audit, to be conducted by Additional Chief Secretary Asim Gupta, will scrutinise the temple’s financial transactions, donation records and management — and will also cover the tenure of former trust chairman Adesh Bandekar, who headed the trust until November 2023. The order follows a meeting between current trust chairman Sada Sarvankar and Shinde at Mantralaya on Tuesday, August 4. Because the audit spans five years, it brings Bandekar’s tenure under scrutiny alongside that of his successor — a detail that has added a political dimension, with questions being raised about whether the order could create difficulties for Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction.

How Did This Controversy Start? The row snowballed after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray alleged that nearly ₹18 crore was being siphoned off annually from the temple’s donation boxes. Addressing an MNS event, Thackeray claimed the temple trust had written to Shinde alleging the theft, and questioned how devotees could trust institutions if such thefts were occurring inside temples. His remarks came amid a separate political controversy over alleged donation irregularities linked to the Ayodhya Ram Temple. What Has The Temple Trust Said? The trust has denied any cover-up, saying it was the one that first detected the suspected irregularities and alerted the state government. Sarvankar said the trust had written to the law and judiciary department in March flagging the issue and seeking a detailed probe, and that the department has since sought a report from the temple and issued notices to two senior officials responsible for day-to-day administration. Trustees have refused calls to resign, arguing they should not be blamed for exposing the alleged wrongdoing. Why Has The Temple Sought An Audit Of Its Own? The trust had separately called for an audit of donation collections over the past two years, saying temple income had nearly doubled after action was taken against those allegedly involved — with monthly donations reportedly rising from around ₹40-45 lakh to ₹80-90 lakh after the suspected leakages were plugged.