Uttarakhand govt directs Badrinath Temple Committee's CEO to take action against officials found responsible in alleged donation theft case

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], July 12 : The Uttarakhand government has taken a strict stance over alleged financial irregularities in the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC).

Acting on the findings of an inquiry into payments made for the accommodation, food, and other expenses of VIP guests, the government has directed the Badrinath Temple Committee's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to initiate action against the officials and employees found responsible, in accordance with the law.
In a letter issued on June 25, Deputy Secretary Anil Kumar Pandey of the Tourism and Religious Affairs Department (Section-1) referred to the inquiry report concerning the payment of bills related to the accommodation and hospitality of VIP guests at the Kedarnath establishment.
The inquiry found prima facie evidence that advance funds were released from the temple corpus without approval from the competent authority, amounting to a financial irregularity.
According to the report, the roles of the then Manager, Kedarnath, the then Chief In-charge Officer, Kedarnath, and the then Chief Executive Officer have been found to be questionable.
The government has instructed the BKTC Chief Executive Officer to ensure appropriate action against the officials and employees named in the inquiry report in accordance with the provisions of the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Act, 1939, and the rules framed thereunder.
The directive comes at a time when several financial matters related to the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee are already under scrutiny. The government's move is being seen as a significant step towards strengthening financial accountability within the temple administration. Attention is now focused on the nature of the action the Committee will take against the officials identified in the inquiry.
Earlier today, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) recorded statements of five witnesses in connection with the alleged Badrinath Temple donation theft case, while the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) is expected to submit bank records of the last three years, Uttarakhand Police said.
The police said CCTV footage from July 2 has been recovered during the investigation, in which the accused is allegedly seen collecting cash suspiciously from the donation counting room.
Speaking to ANI, SP Chamoli Surjit Singh Panwar said that the SIT has recorded the statements of the available witnesses and is waiting for the official internal enquiry report of the BKTC. He added that further action will be taken after the collection of evidence.
"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. The statement of the other witnesses will be recorded soon. The process of analysing the CCTV footage and collecting the evidence is underway. After the due collection of evidence, we will proceed with further action against the accused," he said.
Earlier, the Uttarakhand Police claimed that CCTV footage showed the alleged accused, 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.
The investigation stems from alleged irregularities detected during the counting of cash offerings made by devotees at the Badrinath temple on July 2. A preliminary inquiry allegedly found that cash was removed from the counting area in violation of established procedures.
The FIR in the case was registered at Badrinath Police Station following a complaint by BKTC In-charge Temple Officer Yudhvir Pushpwan, whose statement was also recorded by the SIT. Statements of other BKTC officials, including CCTV control officer Panwar and Harender Kothari, who was present during the counting of donations, were also recorded as part of the investigation.
Meanwhile, Nautiyal moved the Uttarakhand High Court challenging his suspension and the FIR lodged against him. The matter was heard by Justice Alok Mehra, who directed the BKTC to file its response. The next hearing is scheduled for July 16.
The case is currently being investigated simultaneously by the police, SIT, the BKTC's departmental inquiry committee, and a high-level committee headed by the Garhwal Commissioner.