Uttarakhand: BKTC official booked for embezzlement of Badrinath Dham Temple donations

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], July 8 : A criminal case has been registered against Pramod Nautiyal, a Personal Assistant in the Office of the Chairman of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), following allegations of illegal diversion of temple offerings.
The FIR was lodged at the Badrinath Police Station under Sections 306 and 316(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. The complaint, filed by the BKTC, accused Nautiyal of unlawfully misappropriating temple funds for personal gain.
The allegations stem from an incident on July 2, during the counting of offerings from the Thali Bhent (donation plate). A preliminary inquiry by the committee established that temple funds were surreptitiously removed from the donation counting centre during a 30-minute window between 9:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.
Following these prima facie findings, the BKTC moved to suspend Nautiyal from his position before pursuing formal legal action. Authorities are now investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident as they look to secure the integrity of the temple's donation process.
Earlier, the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) also took a significant step to uphold administrative transparency and discipline by suspending Pramod Nautiyal, Personal Assistant posted in the Chairman's Office, with immediate effect.
According to an order issued by the Committee, a show-cause notice was served on Nautiyal on July 3, after prima facie allegations of serious irregularities in the discharge of his official duties came to light. A four-member inquiry committee was simultaneously constituted to conduct a fair and detailed investigation into the matter.
After examining the explanation submitted by the employee and the preliminary findings of the inquiry committee, the allegations were found to be prima facie substantiated. The committee, in its report, recommended disciplinary action against the employee, observing that allowing him to continue in his current post could potentially influence or hamper the ongoing inquiry.
In view of these findings, and to ensure a fair, transparent and impartial investigation, BKTC has placed Pramod Nautiyal under suspension with immediate effect.
During the suspension period, he will be entitled to a subsistence allowance as per the applicable rules. He has also been attached to the BKTC office in Joshimath, Chamoli district. He will not be permitted to leave the headquarters without prior approval from the competent authority and will be required to fully cooperate with the ongoing inquiry and disciplinary proceedings.
Meanwhile, in view of the alleged irregularities and complaints related to donations and offerings at Badrinath Dham, and considering the seriousness of the matter, the Uttarakhand Government has constituted a three-member high-level committee on the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to conduct a comprehensive inquiry.
The committee will be headed by the Commissioner of Garhwal Division. Its members include Sandeep Tiwari, Managing Director of the National Health Mission (NHM), and Jagat Singh Chauhan, Director (Finance), Office of the Director General, Medical and Health Department.