A Rs 5-crore claim involving cricketer Virat Kohli and spiritual leader Premanand Maharaj has triggered a fresh social media controversy, with Kohli’s spokesperson strongly rejecting the allegation as “completely false, baseless and factually incorrect.”
The controversy erupted after Dinesh Sharma, popularly known as Falahari Maharaj and president of the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Sangharsh Nyas, reportedly raised the allegation in a letter addressed to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Claim linked to Kohli’s first Vrindavan visit
According to reports, Sharma alleged that Rs 5 crore was spent or offered to facilitate Kohli’s visit to Premanand Maharaj’s Vrindavan ashram during the cricketer’s first visit in January 2023.
He reportedly further claimed that a Rajasthan-based private company and a property-builder lobby were behind the purported payment, allegedly to boost Premanand Maharaj’s popularity and public-relations reach.
However, no publicly available contract, invoice, bank transaction record or other payment document has been cited to substantiate the Rs 5-crore allegation.
Kohli’s spokesperson rejects allegation
Kohli’s spokesperson has categorically denied the claim, calling it false and factually incorrect.
“The claims being made are completely false, baseless and factually incorrect,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also clarified that Kohli’s visits to Premanand Maharaj are driven by his “deep faith and reverence” for the spiritual leader.
The media was further urged to verify information before reporting or amplifying such allegations.
Kohli and Anushka have visited the ashram several times
Virat Kohli’s association with Premanand Maharaj has been widely reported. Kohli and his wife, actor Anushka Sharma, first visited the spiritual leader’s Vrindavan ashram in January 2023 along with their daughter Vamika.
Images and videos from the meeting went viral on social media at the time.
The couple later returned to the ashram in 2025, including a visit after Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket in May that year. They have also visited Premanand Maharaj again this year.
Rs 5-crore claim fuels online debate
Videos and photographs of Kohli and Anushka’s meetings with Premanand Maharaj have repeatedly drawn significant attention online. The latest financial allegation has now added another layer to the social media discussion.
While the claim has gained traction online, Kohli’s spokesperson has denied it, and no publicly available documentary evidence supporting the alleged Rs 5-crore payment has been cited so far.
The controversy comes amid a wider dispute
The allegation surfaced amid a broader controversy surrounding Premanand Maharaj’s ashram following the death of a disciple, Rasik Dulari. Various allegations have since circulated regarding the ashram, including claims involving a builder lobby. However, reports have stressed that several of these allegations, including the Rs 5-crore claim involving Kohli, have not been independently confirmed.
