Raj Thackeray alleges ₹18 crore annual theft at Siddhivinayak Temple; trust confirms 9 arrests
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray on Saturday alleged that donations worth ₹18 crore are being siphoned off annually at the Shri Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple in Prabhadevi, Mumbai. Speaking at a programme of the party's student wing, he demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi address the issue. He claimed that eight trustees of the temple had written to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde about the alleged theft.
According to Mr. Thackeray, some alert trustees had caught employees stealing money from the donation box. He further alleged that ₹1,400 crore had been stolen from the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. No documentary evidence was provided by him for either claim. The letter referred to by Mr. Thackeray has not been made public.
The Siddhivinayak Temple is one of the most popular and financially significant shrines in Mumbai. Dedicated to Lord Ganesha, it attracts a large number of devotees and visitors every day, especially during festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi. The temple's income comes mainly from donations, sale of offerings and other religious activities. According to available figures, the temple recorded revenue of ₹182 crore in the financial year 2025-26. The alleged annual theft of ₹18 crore would represent roughly 10 percent of that income.
The temple has several donation boxes, known as hundis, where devotees deposit cash and valuables. These are collected periodically and counted under the supervision of trust officials. The counting is usually done in the presence of senior officials and recorded in ledgers. The exact procedures for counting and recording these collections are not publicly documented, which makes independent verification of the allegations difficult.
The temple is administered by the Siddhivinayak Temple Trust. Sada Sarvankar, the chairman of the trust and a leader of the Shiv Sena faction headed by Mr. Shinde, confirmed that action had been taken in connection with the alleged theft. "Nine employees were arrested. We have filed cases wherever required," Mr. Sarvankar said. He also said that the increase in donations was the result of the trust's efforts. He did not directly comment on the letter cited by Mr. Thackeray.
The allegations come amid an ongoing investigation into a separate case of donation theft at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Mr. Thackeray's remarks bring renewed attention to how temple funds are handled in Maharashtra, where several shrines have vast annual incomes.
The MNS chief has been a vocal critic of the state government and has previously raised issues concerning public institutions. His latest allegations are significant because the Siddhivinayak Temple Trust is chaired by a leader of the ruling Shiv Sena. The demand for the Prime Minister's intervention suggests that Mr. Thackeray is seeking a broader political platform for the issue. The MNS has a limited presence in the Maharashtra legislature but has historically been active in Mumbai's civic and political affairs.
Meanwhile, the temple trust has not issued a detailed response to the larger allegation of systematic siphoning. The state government has also not commented on the matter so far. The only official reaction so far has come from Mr. Sarvankar, who confirmed the arrests. The trust's confirmation of arrests suggests that an internal inquiry was already underway. Further details are awaited.
