By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 13 Jul: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Chamoli Police arrested suspended Badri-Kedar Temple Committee (BKTC) employee Pramod Nautiyal late last night from his residence in Dehradun. This arrest is being seen as a major breakthrough in the high-profile Badrinath Dham offering theft case. The arrest was made by a police team in plainclothes at around 10 p.m. yesterday, following which the accused was taken to Badrinath and is currently being interrogated at Kotwali Badrinath. Police are expected to produce him before the District Court in Gopeshwar after completing the necessary legal formalities.
Confirming the arrest, Chamoli SSP Surjit Singh Panwar shared that the accused was taken into custody from his Dehradun residence late last night and brought to Chamoli for detailed questioning. He also added that the SIT is examining the documents, official records, CCTV footage and other material evidence as part of its investigation. Panwar also claimed that the probe is continuing in a fair and comprehensive manner and further action will be taken on the basis of facts emerging during the investigation. He added that the accused would be produced before the competent court in accordance with law.
The arrest comes even as Nautiyal had approached the Uttarakhand High Court seeking protection from arrest and also challenging both his suspension and the FIR lodged against him. The High Court has sought a response from the BKTC and fixed 16 July for hearing the matter before the Bench of Justice Alok Mehra. However, before the petition could be heard, the SIT arrested the suspended employee. The SIT officials have also indicated that the possible involvement of other people is also under scrutiny and further arrests cannot be ruled out.
According to the police, an FIR was registered on 8 July at Kotwali Badrinath under Sections 306 and 316(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on the complaint of BKTC In-charge Temple Officer Yudhveer Pushpwan. The complaint stated that during the counting of offerings received in donation plates on July 2, information regarding financial irregularities was received, prompting an internal departmental inquiry by the Temple Committee. The preliminary inquiry reportedly pointed towards committee employee Pramod Nautiyal, alleging that he had secretly taken possession of cash and other offerings during the counting process.
It may be recalled that, in view of the seriousness of the allegations, an SIT was constituted under the direction of SSP Surjit Singh Panwar and the supervision of Circle Officer (CO) Madan Singh Bisht. The investigation team inspected the scene, recorded the statements of employees and the witnesses associated with the currency and gifts counting process and also claims to have carried out a detailed examination of CCTV footage from the counting room.
Police said the CCTV footage reportedly shows the accused repeatedly removing cash and other offerings from the counting room by concealing them beneath his mobile phone and inside his pockets. During the course of investigation, it also emerged that he allegedly took possession of Rs 500 currency notes, packets containing gold and silver coins, Shaligram stones and packets of saffron on different occasions without authorisation. Based on the CCTV footage, witness statements and other evidence collected during the investigation, the SIT conducted a raid at his Dehradun residence late last night and arrested him.
The Police sources also claimed that the committee’s inquiry into the counting room footage had earlier found the accused carrying away money, leading to his suspension and the registration of a criminal case against him. The investigation is now allegedly focused on determining whether the alleged misappropriation is confined to a single employee or whether a larger network is involved.
The case first came to light after Bhairav Sena founder Sandeep Khatri publicly alleged that offerings and the donations made by devotees at Badrinath Temple are being stolen during the counting process. His allegations triggered widespread public outrage and intensified political debate in Uttarakhand. Following the disclosure, BKTC Chairman Hemant Dwivedi constituted a four-member inquiry committee to examine the allegations. As the controversy escalated, the State Government also constituted a three-member high-level committee to conduct an independent investigation and recommend measures to strengthen the transparency of the offering management system.
On 3 July, Khatri submitted a written complaint to the BKTC Chief Executive Officer seeking registration of an FIR and a fair investigation. After the issue gained traction on social media, the Temple Committee began scrutinising CCTV footage and official records. On 4 July, Hemant Dwivedi clarified that the employee being referred to in some reports as his “private secretary” was in fact his Personal Assistant in the Temple Committee.
Following the preliminary inquiry, Nautiyal was suspended and an FIR was lodged against him on 8 July. Around the same time, the state government also announced the constitution of a three-member high-level committee to investigate the incident and suggest systemic reforms. On 9 July, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami described the incident as extremely serious, stating that it was directly linked to the faith of millions of devotees and that those found guilty would not be spared under any circumstances.
Later, the scope of the investigation was expanded and several BKTC employees were questioned and documentary as well as electronic evidence were also examined in detail. The arrest of Nautiyal yesterday marks the first major custodial action in the case.
Meanwhile, allegations relating to the collection of money from devotees for special darshan have also surfaced on social media in the past. However, police have not officially confirmed these allegations and are examining all aspects of the case as part of the ongoing investigation.
SSP Surjit Singh Panwar reiterated that the matter concerns the faith of millions of devotees and the transparency of temple administration. He said the investigation would be carried out impartially and that stringent legal action would be taken against every person found involved in the alleged misappropriation of temple offerings. At present, one BKTC employee has been suspended, an FIR has been registered, the accused is under interrogation, the State Government’s high-level committee is continuing its inquiry, and the SIT is reviewing CCTV footage, official records, witness statements and the entire counting process. No final investigation report or judicial conclusion has yet been reached, and some pertinent questions being asked is whether all those allegedly involved in the donation theft would be caught and named or the inquiry would remain restricted to just a handful of lower category officials who may possibly be carrying out the theft on directions or in agreement with some top officials or office bearers of BKTC.
