The controversy surrounding Virat Kohli’s visits to Premanand Maharaj’s ashram has taken another dramatic turn. After Kohli’s spokesperson strongly denied the allegation that the Indian cricket superstar had received money for his first visit, Falahari Maharaj Dinesh Sharma has reportedly doubled down on his claim.
Falahari Maharaj has now reportedly challenged authorities to examine Kohli’s financial records, maintaining that money was indeed paid in connection with the cricketer’s first visit. However, no publicly verified bank record, payment document or other evidence has emerged so far to prove the allegation.
Falahari Maharaj Stands by Virat Kohli Money Claim
The controversy began after Falahari Maharaj alleged that around ₹5 crore was spent to bring Kohli to Premanand Maharaj’s ashram for his first visit.
According to the allegation, people linked with builders and property interests were involved in arranging the visit and bearing the expenses associated with it.
Kohli’s spokesperson strongly rejected the accusation, calling the claims made by Falahari Maharaj “completely false, baseless and factually incorrect.”
The statement also made Kohli’s position clear: his visits to Premanand Maharaj are because of his deep personal faith and reverence for the spiritual leader.
However, Falahari Maharaj has reportedly refused to withdraw his allegation.
In his latest response, he reportedly said that Kohli’s accounts could be checked and even challenged authorities to bring in the CBI if necessary. He claimed that money had been transferred from multiple accounts connected to followers at the ashram and further alleged that some money had also been paid in cash.
These remain allegations from Falahari Maharaj and have not been independently established through publicly available financial evidence.
‘Kohli Later Felt He Had Committed a Sin’
Falahari Maharaj’s new claim does not stop with the alleged payment.
According to him, Kohli’s thinking supposedly changed after actually meeting Premanand Maharaj.
He claimed that when Kohli experienced the atmosphere around the spiritual leader and found peace during his visit, the cricketer felt that accepting money to come there had been a major mistake.
Falahari Maharaj reportedly described it as a feeling that Kohli had committed a “sin”.
Interestingly, despite making such a serious allegation against Kohli, Falahari Maharaj then praised the former India captain for what he claims happened afterwards.
Claims Kohli Gave Back Many Times More to the Ashram
Falahari Maharaj claimed that after supposedly realising his mistake, Kohli gave the ashram many times more than whatever amount he had allegedly received earlier.
He went a step further and claimed that Kohli continues to financially support activities at the ashram. According to him, money from Kohli is also used for the bhandara, where food is served to devotees.
Therefore, his allegation presents two very different parts of the same story: he maintains that Kohli initially accepted money for the first visit, but also claims that the cricketer later developed genuine devotion towards Premanand Maharaj and gave substantially more back to the ashram.
The ₹5 Crore Question Still Has No Proven Answer
At present, it is impossible to treat the original ₹5 crore allegation as an established fact.
Falahari Maharaj continues to stand by his version and is reportedly willing to have the matter investigated. On the other side, Kohli’s spokesperson has categorically denied that he was paid and maintains that his association with Premanand Maharaj comes purely from faith and reverence.
There is also a reasonable question over why a global sporting superstar of Kohli’s commercial stature would need to undertake such a visit merely for ₹5 crore. That does not by itself prove or disprove the allegation, but it is one reason the claim requires strong evidence before it can be accepted as fact.
What is clearly visible is that Kohli’s association with Premanand Maharaj did not end after one appearance. Kohli and Anushka Sharma have returned to meet the spiritual leader multiple times, which supports their stated position that there is a genuine spiritual connection.
If Falahari Maharaj’s separate claim about Kohli subsequently contributing significantly towards the ashram and its bhandara is eventually established, that would present a very different side of the story and show Kohli using his resources to support devotees and people being served there.
For now, however, the crucial distinction remains: Falahari Maharaj says Kohli initially took money and has challenged investigators to examine the accounts, while Kohli’s camp completely denies the allegation. Without verified financial evidence, the claim cannot be presented as proven fact.
Get cricket updates. Follow Tezzbuzz:
Download the Tezzbuzz app
Take Tezzbuzz with you. Get our app for cricket news and updates on your phone.