Badrinath Dham Rocked by "Suspicious Stealing" of Donations!
Badrinath Dham Rocked by "Suspicious Stealing" of Donations!
An employee at Badrinath Dham is under intense scrutiny after CCTV footage allegedly caught him "suspiciously stealing" donations including cash, gold, and shaligram stones. Uncover the full story!
The sacred precincts of Badrinath Dham have been embroiled in controversy following allegations of "suspicious stealing" of donations, bringing the management of revered shrines under intense scrutiny. A probe by the Uttarakhand Police was initiated after irregularities surfaced during the counting of cash offerings made by devotees at the temple on July 2.
At the heart of the investigation is Pramod Nautiyal, an employee of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), who served as a personal assistant in the BKTC chairman’s office. He was suspended after an initial internal inquiry flagged serious concerns regarding the handling of donations. CCTV footage, a crucial piece of evidence, allegedly captures Nautiyal "suspiciously hiding or stealing" cash, gold and silver coins, sacred shaligram stones, and offering envelopes from the temple's donation counting room. The footage reportedly shows him repeatedly moving between the counting room and his office, raising suspicions that the missing items might have been secreted away there.
Police reports indicate the CCTV footage explicitly shows Nautiyal allegedly concealing bundles of ₹500 and ₹100 notes, along with precious metals and shaligram stones. The offering envelopes are believed to have contained between ₹10,000 and ₹12,000. Investigators are now meticulously reviewing CCTV footage from June 25 and June 29 to gather more evidence. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also begun analyzing Nautiyal's call records as part of their comprehensive inquiry.
On Sunday, the SIT recorded statements from five witnesses pertinent to the alleged donation theft. Superintendent of Police (Chamoli) Surjit Singh Panwar stated, “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.” Amidst the ongoing police investigation, Nautiyal has taken legal action, challenging both his suspension and the First Information Report (FIR) registered against him in the Uttarakhand High Court. The court is slated to hear his petition on Friday (July 16), adding another layer to this unfolding legal and spiritual dilemma. This incident at Badrinath Dham puts a spotlight on the critical need for transparent and secure financial management practices at religious institutions across the country, especially in the wake of similar concerns raised at other major temples.
