Badrinath Temple committee finance controller calls alleged donation irregularities 'individual' lapse

Dehradun: Finance Controller for the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), Hem Kandpal, on Thursday came forward to address the ongoing controversy regarding the alleged diversion of temple offerings, emphasising that the actions of a single staffer do not reflect the institutional integrity of the committee.

Speaking exclusively to ANI, Hem Kandpal asserted that the committee maintains strict adherence to legal frameworks and long-standing administrative protocols, explaining that attributing the lapse in judgment of a single individual to the BKTC as a whole would be unfair.

Also read: FIR filed against suspended Badrinath temple panel employee in donation irregularities case


He said, "This was a case involving an individual. It would be incorrect to link it to the BKTC's standard procedures, as the BKTC has been functioning for a very long time. It operates under the 1939 Act and follows established processes that have been in place for years. Attributing the lapse in judgment of a single individual to the BKTC as a whole would be unfair."

On Wednesday, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami responded strongly to the ongoing controversy over alleged irregularities related to donations and offerings at the Badrinath temple, saying "crime is a heinous sin, akin to cow slaughter."

"The investigation is complete, and we will provide an update soon. A committee has been formed, and the police have initiated a preliminary investigation; a report has also been filed... This crime is akin to the sin of cow slaughter or killing one's own parents, and it cannot be forgiven," CM Dhami said in Haridwar.

He reiterated that no guilty person would be spared and strict action would be taken against them.

A criminal case was 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.

Also read: Uttarakhand Govt forms high-level committee to probe alleged irregularities with donations at Badrinath shrine

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.

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.