The alleged theft of temple donations at Badrinath Dham has come under sharper focus, with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) widening its investigation into suspected irregularities in the handling of offerings. The development comes amid an ongoing probe into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, where eight people have already been arrested.
On Saturday, the SIT visited the Badrinath shrine to examine fresh evidence, including CCTV footage and the call records of the accused.
CCTV footage, call records form key part of investigation
According to Uttarakhand Police, CCTV footage allegedly shows suspended Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) employee Pramod Nautiyal “suspiciously hiding or stealing” cash, gold and silver coins, shaligram stones and offering envelopes from the temple’s donation counting room.
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The BKTC is the statutory body responsible for managing the Badrinath temple and several other shrines in Uttarakhand.
Nautiyal, who worked as the personal assistant to the BKTC chairman, was suspended after a preliminary internal inquiry reportedly detected irregularities in the way temple donations were handled.
Police said the CCTV footage allegedly captured Nautiyal making repeated trips between the donation counting room and his office, raising suspicion that the missing valuables may have been concealed there.
Investigators also claim the footage shows him hiding or stealing bundles of ₹500 and ₹100 currency notes, gold and silver coins, shaligram stones and offering envelopes believed to contain between ₹10,000 and ₹12,000.
Officials are now reviewing CCTV footage recorded on June 25 and June 29. The SIT has also begun examining Nautiyal’s call records as part of the investigation.
Five witnesses questioned, inquiry report awaited
The SIT recorded statements from five witnesses connected to the case on Sunday.
“We are currently investigating on the basis of the complaint given by the BKTC, we have recorded the statements of some of the available prime witnesses in the case. We are waiting for the official internal enquiry report of the BKTC,” Superintendent of Police (Chamoli) Surjit Singh Panwar told ANI.
Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand High Court is scheduled to hear Nautiyal’s petition on July 16, in which he has challenged both his suspension and the FIR filed against him.
How the case unfolded?
The alleged irregularities surfaced during the counting of devotees’ cash offerings at the Badrinath temple on July 2. A preliminary internal inquiry reportedly found that cash had been removed from the counting room without following the prescribed procedure.
Police registered an FIR against Nautiyal under Section 306 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, dealing with theft by an employee of an employer’s property, and Section 316(5), which relates to criminal breach of trust by specified trustees.
Apart from the police investigation, the matter is also being examined by the SIT, the BKTC’s departmental inquiry committee and a high-level committee headed by the Garhwal Commissioner.
Case draws attention amid Ayodhya Ram Mandir donation row
The Badrinath investigation has gained added attention as authorities continue probing the alleged donation theft at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
The controversy began after Samajwadi Party leader Tej Narayan ‘Pawan’ Pandey alleged that donations worth between ₹5 crore and ₹7.5 crore had been siphoned off. Following the allegations, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted an SIT on June 13. An FIR was registered on June 25, and eight people were arrested the following day. Police said ₹79,85,493 was recovered from the accused and indicated that further arrests are possible if the investigation uncovers the involvement of additional individuals, including bank employees or others linked to the counting and deposit of temple donations.
FAQs:
What is the Badrinath Dham donation theft case?
The case involves alleged theft and irregular handling of cash and valuables from the Badrinath temple’s donation counting room, which is under investigation by an SIT.
Why is the SIT examining CCTV footage in the Badrinath temple donation case?
Investigators are reviewing CCTV footage and call records after police alleged the videos captured a suspended BKTC employee hiding or stealing temple donations.