MUMBAI, March 22: A case of alleged theft has surfaced at Mumbai’s famous Shree Siddhivinayak Ganpati Temple, where a permanent staff member has been arrested for stealing money from the donation box.
The incident came to light on March 22, when temple authorities noticed irregularities during routine monitoring.
According to police, the accused has been identified as 57-year-old Rajendra Pendharkar, who is suspected of taking at least Rs 10,000 from the donation collection.
Officials stated that during daily surveillance, CCTV footage revealed suspicious behaviour by the employee. The visuals reportedly showed him repeatedly taking the donation box to the upper floor, turning it upside down, and extracting currency notes through small gaps. This activity is believed to have continued over several days. Authorities have also indicated that more employees could be involved, and their role is currently under suspicion.
Following the discovery, a written complaint was lodged by an official of the Shree Siddhivinayak Ganpati Temple Trust at Dadar Police Station.
Acting on the complaint, police registered a theft case, detained the accused, and later produced him before a court, which remanded him to police custody. Investigators are now examining additional CCTV footage and records to determine the total amount stolen and to identify how many individuals were directly involved.
The Shree Siddhivinayak Ganpati Temple is among the most prominent and busiest temples in Mumbai, attracting thousands of devotees daily who contribute generously to the donation box. The incident has raised serious concerns among devotees regarding trust and security. In response, the temple trust has assured that strict internal action will be taken and that security arrangements will be further strengthened to prevent such incidents in the future.
(UNI)
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