CCTV footage allegedly shows accused Pramod Nautiyal leaving counting room with cash
By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Chamoli, 12 Jul: The departmental inquiry team constituted to investigate the alleged misappropriation of donations at the Shri Badrinath Dham has completed its probe and submitted the report to the CEO.
According the investigation, the preliminary findings purportedly suggest that the theft of devotees’ offerings and valuables took place not just once, but on multiple occasions. According to sources, the four-member inquiry team has detailed the entire incident and the findings of their investigation in an 18-page report.
The investigators claim to have secured important evidence from CCTV footage installed inside the temple premises and the counting room. It is being claimed that the footage shows the suspended Badri-Kedar Temple Committee (BKTC) employee, Pramod Nautiyal, allegedly leaving the counting room carrying a bundle of currency notes concealed beneath a mobile phone, along with gold and silver-coloured coins and other religious articles. Based on the evidence collected so far, the police have reportedly initiated preparations for his arrest. Sources claim that Nautiyal who is currently on casual leave till today may soon be arrested following the surfacing of the CCT footage.
It may be recalled that the alleged irregularity had come to light after complaints were received regarding the handling of offerings during the ‘Thali Bhent’ counting process. Following the complaint, an FIR was registered against Pramod Nautiyal and an investigation was launched and Nautiyal was also placed by the BKTC and the government under suspension. The Police officials said the CCTV footage recorded on 2 July has now been taken into possession as a key piece of evidence in the case.
According to the police, the footage shows the accused entering the counting room on three separate occasions during the counting of devotees’ offerings (donations) and emerging each time carrying certain articles in his hands. The investigators also claimed that apart from gold and silver-coloured coins, the footage also appears to show him carrying a religious object resembling a Shaligram. The police believe that the visual evidence could prove crucial in establishing the sequence of events surrounding the alleged misappropriation.
A police team again visited the temple premises yesterday to continue the investigation. The officials are closely examining every instance of suspicious activity captured by the CCTV cameras and questioning BKTC employees connected with the counting process. Investigators are also scrutinising footage recorded prior to the incident in an effort to reconstruct the entire sequence of events and identify whether any other persons were involved.
The BKTC has completed its internal departmental inquiry into the matter. The committee’s inquiry report has been submitted to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for further action. Deputy Superintendent of Police and supervising investigation officer Madan Singh Bisht shared with the media that the employees are being questioned regarding the suspicious activities visible in the CCTV footage, while recordings from the period preceding the incident are also being examined in detail to establish the complete facts.
It may be noted here that following the surfacing of the alleged misappropriation, Pramod Nautiyal proceeded on casual leave from 5 to 12 July. His leave concludes today. The BKTC has already placed him under suspension and attached him to its Jyotirmath office pending further proceedings. It is expected that he may report to the Jyotirmath office tomorrow.
The investigating team had earlier sought several documents from the BKTC, including records relating to departmental action taken in the case, notices issued to employees who were present or absent in the counting room, their replies, suspension-related documents and the preliminary inquiry report. As the documents were not furnished within the stipulated time, the police have issued a reminder to the temple committee asking it to provide the required records at the earliest to facilitate the ongoing investigation.
Meanwhile, it may also be recalled that Uttarakhand High Court had taken up a petition filed by suspended BKTC employee Pramod Nautiyal in connection with the case. Hearing the matter, the single Bench of Justice Alok Mehra has fixed 16 July as the next date of hearing and has directed the State Government to clarify its stand on the matter. During the proceedings, it was submitted that the temple committee had received information on 2 July regarding alleged financial irregularities during the counting of Thali Bhent offerings at the Badrinath Temple. Acting on the information, a departmental inquiry committee was constituted on the directions of the Chairman of the temple committee. The committee’s preliminary inquiry report allegedly found that Pramod Nautiyal had unlawfully removed money from the Thali Bhent counting centre between approximately 9 a.m. and 9.30 a.m. on 2 July, following which disciplinary proceedings and the criminal investigation were launched.
