Shivashree Ritu Premanand Maharaj News: The ₹5 Crore Virat Kohli Allegation Explained

Searches for "shivashree ritu premanand maharaj news" spiked in India in early October 2026 after a sensational allegation: that cricketer Virat Kohli's first visit to spiritual leader Premanand Maharaj's Vrindavan ashram was facilitated by a ₹5 crore payment from a builder lobby. Kohli's team has categorically denied the claim, and no documentary evidence supporting it has been made public. Here is what is actually known, what remains unproven, and why the story is trending.

What is the ₹5 crore allegation?

The claim was made by Dinesh Sharma, popularly known as 'Falahari Maharaj', who is president of the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Sangharsh Nyas. In a letter addressed to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Sharma alleged that a Rajasthan-based private company and a property builder lobby spent ₹5 crore to arrange Kohli's first visit to Premanand Maharaj's ashram in January 2023, The Economic Times reported. According to the allegation, the aim was to boost the ashram's popularity by associating it with one of India's biggest cricket stars. Sharma further claimed that a "land mafia" had been using the ashram's name for public relations and an alleged extortion racket.

Kohli's team rejects the claim

On 7 October 2026, Kohli's spokesperson issued a statement calling the allegations "completely false, baseless and factually incorrect." The statement said Kohli visits Premanand Maharaj "purely out of his deep faith and reverence for Maharaj Ji" and urged media organisations to verify facts before amplifying such claims, according to an IANS report. Crucially, no verified contract, invoice, bank transaction, payment record or official communication has publicly confirmed that any ₹5 crore payment was made. The claim, at this stage, rests entirely on Sharma's letter.

The Rasik Dulari death investigation

The shivashree ritu controversy did not emerge in isolation. The allegations surfaced in the wake of the death of Rasik Dulari, a disciple of Premanand Maharaj, under what reports describe as mysterious circumstances at the Radha Keli Kunj Ashram in Vrindavan. The circumstances of the death remain under investigation, and the allegations concerning the ashram and Kohli have not been legally established. The two threads — the disciple's death and the payment claim — have together fuelled intense public scrutiny of the ashram.

Kohli and Anushka's association with the ashram

Kohli and his wife, actor Anushka Sharma, first visited Premanand Maharaj in Vrindavan on 4 January 2023, along with their daughter Vamika. They returned several times over the following years, including a 2025 visit after Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket in May that year. Their most recent reported visit was on 22 July 2026, when the couple were seen walking barefoot through drizzle at the ashram. Videos of these visits have repeatedly gone viral on social media, which is one reason the allegation gained traction so quickly.

Why 'shivashree ritu' is trending

Google Trends data for India, observed on 8 October 2026, showed roughly 2,000 searches for "shivashree ritu premanand maharaj news" in the past 24 hours, with growth of about 200%. This confirms strong search interest in the controversy — but search volume says nothing about whether the claims are true. Readers should note the key distinction: the ₹5 crore figure is an allegation in a letter, not a proven fact, while Kohli's denial and the ongoing death investigation are the only firmly documented developments as of mid-October 2026.