By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
Garhwal Post Bureau
Haridwar, 2 Jul: The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has officially taken over the management and operation of the iconic Chandi Devi Temple in Haridwar. The Committee’s Chief Executive Officer, Vijay Thapliyal, along with his team, assumed charge today after paying obeisance at the temple premises. This action has been taken in compliance of the directions in this regard issued by Uttarakhand High Court.
Thapliyal confirmed that the BKTC has taken over operations in accordance with directives issued by the High Court. He shared that a team of four staff members has been assigned to the temple, entrusted with compiling daily operational reports which will be submitted in a consolidated weekly format to the High Court. The takeover is being implemented with an aim to ensure improved transparency, accountability, and upkeep of the temple.
Commenting on the development, a temple trustee claimed that the High Court’s order designating BKTC as custodian would lead to better facilities for devotees and overall improved temple governance. It is anticipated that new operational systems will be put into place under the Committee’s watch.
The administrative shift follows serious allegations surrounding former temple Mahant, Rohit Giri, who has also been accused of entering into a second marriage without divorcing his first wife. Matters escalated when he filed a theft case against her at the temple, after which she sought legal intervention. According to her petition filed before the High Court, she claimed to have married the Mahant at the very temple and later discovered he had remarried and was residing in a live-in relationship, without her knowledge or consent. Her claims were substantiated during inquiry, prompting her to file a First Information Report (FIR). In retaliation, the Mahant lodged a theft complaint against her. Amid these legal entanglements, the woman applied for anticipatory bail, which was granted by a single bench comprising of Justice Rakesh Thapliyal.
It may also be recalled that the High Court also directed that, until further orders, the Chandi Devi Temple shall be administered and managed by the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee. The next hearing in this case is scheduled for 13 August.
