Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a detailed inquiry into alleged donation irregularities at Mumbai’s Siddhivinayak temple, PTI quoted an unidentified official as saying on Saturday.

The chief minister has directed officials to examine the temple’s records for the last five years, the official said.

The development came after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray alleged on August 2 that donations worth Rs 18 crore were being embezzled from the temple every year.

Thackeray claimed that the temple’s weekly donations were below Rs 50 lakh before the alleged theft came to light, but increased to about Rs 1.5 crore after those allegedly involved were caught.

Nine temple employees were arrested in connection with the alleged theft in March, Sada Sarvankar, chairperson of the Siddhivinayak Temple Trust and a leader of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, said, according to The Indian Express.

The allegations came amid similar controversies over alleged thefts of donations at other prominent temples, including Badrinath in Uttarakhand and the Ram temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya.

Edited by Sara Varghese.

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