SIT scans CCTV footage, call records in alleged Badrinath Dham donation irregularities

Dehradun: A Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Saturday intensified its probe into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Badrinath Dham temple by visiting the shrine and examining fresh evidence, including CCTV footage and call records of the accused.

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.

According to Uttarakhand Police, the alleged accused was seen making repeated trips between the donation counting room and his office, leading investigators to suspect that the stolen items were being concealed there.


"The accused Pramod Nautiyal is seen suspiciously hiding or stealing bundles of Rs 500 and Rs 100 notes, along with gold and silver coins, shaligram stones, and envelopes of offerings estimated to contain Rs 10 to 12 thousand rupees. Furthermore, while doing so, he is seen going back and forth between his office and the counting room two to three times. The police suspect that after stealing money, gold and silver coins, etc., from the counting room, he would store them in his office. This sequence of events was observed in the CCTV footage from July 2," Uttarakhand Police said.

The SIT has now expanded the scope of its investigation by examining CCTV footage from additional dates and analysing the call detail records of the suspended employee.

"On this basis, the SIT is now scanning the CCTV footage from June 25 and 29. The SIT has also begun scrutinising Nautiyal's call records," the police added.

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.