Sabarimala SIT and Tirumala CID probes over mishandled donations
Big temples like Sabarimala in Kerala and Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh are being investigated for mishandling huge donations.
With crores flowing in every year, lapses in keeping track and securing temple assets have triggered serious questions.
State authorities have set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for Sabarimala, while the Tirumala probe was handed over to the CID, to dig deeper into these cases.
Sabarimala forgery charges Tirumala donation misuse
At Sabarimala, a 2025 check against a 2019 renovation uncovered a 4.5-kg gold shortage, and a 2025 audit found irregular records, leading to forgery charges against seven officials and contractors.
Over at Tirumala, an employee was caught using stolen donations for real estate deals; even after he donated properties back worth ₹40 crore, his case was reopened (following a journalist's petition) before a whistleblower's mysterious death occurred during the investigation.
All this highlights the urgent need for better safeguards around temple funds.