Siddhivinayak Temple Donation Theft Row Sparks Political Slugfest; Trust Chief Sada Sarvankar Alleges Accused Linked To Shiv Sena UBT
· Free Press Journal
Mumbai: A political row has erupted in Maharashtra over the alleged donation theft at Mumbai's iconic Siddhivinayak Temple, with Siddhivinayak Temple Trust President and Shiv Sena MLA Sada Sarvankar alleging that the employees arrested in the case have links to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena UBT.
“सिद्धिविनायक मंदिरात अपहार झाल्याचं या मंदिराच्या विश्वस्तांनी एकनाथ शिंदेंना पत्र लिहून कळवलं आहे. दानपेटीतुन १८ कोटी रुपये लुटले गेल्याची शंका व्यक्त केली जात आहे. विद्यार्थ्यांना सरकारवर विश्वास ठेवता येत नाही, म्हणून ते देवळात जाणार तर त्या देवळातच चोरी सुरु आहे, या मुलांनी… pic.twitter.com/DCInJIqR1I
Visit mchezo.life for more information.
— MNS Adhikrut - मनसे अधिकृत (@mnsadhikrut) August 2, 2026
The controversy comes days after MNS chief Raj Thackeray wrote to Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, alleging that Rs 18 crores were being siphoned off from the temple's donation collections. Addressing a press conference on Monday, Sarvankar acknowledged that a theft had indeed taken place but stated that it was the temple trust itself that detected the irregularities and initiated action.
MNS Chief Raj Thackeray Alleges ₹18 Crore Annual Donation Theft At Siddhivinayak TempleTrust Approached Senior Cop Vishwas Nangre Patil
According to Sarvankar, after the trust noticed discrepancies in the temple's donation collections, it immediately approached senior police officer Vishwas Nangre Patil. Acting on CCTV footage and the police investigation, authorities arrested several temple employees, including Rajan Pendurkar and Ghadigaonkar, for their alleged involvement in the theft.
#WATCH | Mumbai | On Raj Thackeray’s allegations on Siddhivinayak Temple donation scam, Siddhivinayak Temple Trust President Sada Sarvankar says, "So far, the temple employees who were detained by the police on the basis of allegations were first given police custody and then… pic.twitter.com/okLFy83TTe
— ANI (@ANI) August 4, 2026
"So far, the temple employees who were detained by the police on the basis of allegations were first given police custody and then jail custody. Eight people were detained by the police and were given three days of police custody. After police custody, they were granted bail, including Naresh Khade," Sarvankar said.
Siddhivinayak Temple Trust Alleges ₹18-Crore Scam, Seeks CID Probe; 46 Employees SuspendedAccused Linked To Sena UBT, Claims Sarvankar
The Shinde Sena leader further claimed that the key accused had been appointed during the tenure of former Mumbai Mayor Vishakha Raut and alleged that they were regular visitors to local Shiv Sena UBT party offices. He alleged that the accused maintained close links with leaders of the Uddhav Thackeray faction.
Sarvankar also said the trust's timely intervention helped expose and dismantle the alleged theft racket. He claimed that daily donation collections at the temple have increased since action was taken against the accused and demanded an audit of the post-crackdown collections to establish the impact of the action.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in