An investigation into alleged misappropriation of donations at the Badrinath Dham temple in Uttarakhand is ongoing after a preliminary internal investigation revealed irregularities in the way the temple’s offerings were handled. The case comes amid an ongoing row over the alleged misappropriation of donations at the Ayodhya Ram Temple, which has seen eight arrests so far.
On Saturday, a special investigation team intensified its investigation by visiting the Badrinath shrine and reviewing new evidence, including CCTV footage and call records of the accused.
‘Money theft’ on CCTV, call logs examined: Investigation into donation ‘theft’ inside Badrinath
- Uttarakhand Police said CCTV footage showed Pramod Nautiyal, the suspended Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee employee, “suspiciously concealing or stealing” cash, gold and silver coins, shaligrams and supply envelopes from the temple’s donation counting room. Notably, BKTC is the statutory body responsible for the management of Badrinath Temple and many other shrines in Uttarakhand.
- Nautiyal was working as a personal assistant in the BKTC president’s office. He was suspended after a preliminary internal investigation suggested irregularities in the handling of donations at Badrinath Dham, HT had reported earlier.
- News agency ANI quoted the police as saying that CCTV footage showed the accused repeatedly moving between the donation counting room and his office, raising suspicions that the missing items were hidden there.
- Police also said the footage showed Nautiyal hiding or stealing packages from $500 and $100 banknotes, along with gold and silver coins, shaligram stones and offering envelopes believed to contain $10000 and $12,000 as per ANI report.
- Police said investigators are now examining CCTV footage from June 25 to June 29. The SIT has also started analyzing Nautial’s call records.
- The Supreme Court on Sunday recorded statements of five witnesses in the alleged donation theft case. “We are currently investigating on the basis of the complaint filed by BKTC and have recorded statements of some key witnesses available in the case. We are awaiting the official internal investigation report of BKTC,” Superintendent of Police (Chamoli) Surjit Singh Panwar told ANI.
- Amid the investigation into the case, the Uttarakhand High Court is scheduled to hear the petition filed by Nautiyal on Friday (July 16), in which he challenges both his suspension and the FIR registered against him.
Badrinath Dham donation theft case
The investigation was launched after alleged irregularities came to light while counting the cash offerings made by devotees at Badrinath temple on July 2.
A preliminary investigation reportedly concluded that cash was taken out of the counting room without following the prescribed procedure.
The police said that an FIR has been lodged against Nautiyal under Sections 306 (theft by employee of employer’s property) and Section 316(5) (criminal breach of trust by specified trustees) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Following allegations of theft of sacrifices at Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the Congress party criticized the government following similar allegations in Badrinath Dham.
The matter is being investigated simultaneously by the police, the Special Investigation Team, the BKTC District Investigation Committee and a high-level committee headed by the Garhwal Commissioner.
Ram Mandir donation theft case
The controversy hit the headlines on June 7 after Samajwadi Party leader Tej Narayan “Pawan” Pandey claimed that the donations were worth between… $5 Crores $Rs 7.5 crore has been withdrawn from the temple offerings.
The Uttar Pradesh government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on June 13, while an FIR was registered on June 25.
Eight people were arrested the next day, and police claimed they had recovered $79,85,493 of the accused.
Although eight people have been arrested so far, investigators said more arrests could follow if the court finds the involvement of more people, including bank employees or others connected with counting and depositing temple donations.
With input from agencies
