Badrinath donation row: Temple panel chief's aide suspended, probe team formed

Days after allegations of embezzlement of donations and offerings at Uttarakhand's revered Badrinath temple surfaced, the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has suspended Pramod Nautiyal, the Personal Assistant to panel Chairman Hemant Dwivedi, pending an inquiry.

The move comes as both the temple committee and the Uttarakhand government intensify their investigations into the alleged irregularities, with a high-level government panel now tasked with probing the matter.

Announcing the action, the BKTC said Nautiyal was suspended with immediate effect following a preliminary inquiry that found prima facie substance in the allegations against him.

According to the committee, a show-cause notice was issued to him on July 3 after accusations of serious irregularities in the discharge of his official duties.

At the same time, a four-member internal inquiry committee was constituted to conduct a fair and detailed investigation.

After examining Nautiyal's explanation and the committee's preliminary findings, the allegations were found to be substantiated.

The inquiry panel subsequently recommended disciplinary action. The BKTC also observed that allowing the employee to continue in his current position could potentially affect the fairness of the investigation. Consequently, he has been suspended with immediate effect.

During the suspension period, Nautiyal will receive a subsistence allowance as per service rules and has been attached to the BKTC office in Joshimath, Chamoli district.

He has also been directed not to leave the headquarters without prior approval from the competent authority and to fully cooperate with the ongoing disciplinary proceedings.

The committee reiterated that transparency, accountability and discipline remain its top priorities and that any proven irregularity would invite strict action under the rules.

HIGH-LEVEL PROBE PANEL SET UP

Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand government has also stepped in. Acting on the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the state has constituted a three-member high-level committee to investigate complaints relating to donations and offerings at Shri Badrinath Dham.

The committee will be headed by the Garhwal Commissioner, with National Health Mission Managing Director Sandeep Tiwari and Director (Finance) Jagat Singh Chauhan as members.

As per the order issued by Tourism Secretary Dhiraj Singh Garbyal, the panel has been asked to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations and submit its findings and recommendations to the government within 15 days.

The committee has also been authorised to seek assistance from officials or experts if required and recommend measures to strengthen transparency and accountability in the management of temple donations.

PROBE TEAM REACHES BADRINATH

The investigation gathered pace on Tuesday as the BKTC's four-member inquiry team reached Badrinath to begin its probe. BKTC Chief Executive Officer Sohan Singh Rangad said notices had been issued to four individuals, and the investigation would rely on CCTV footage, statements of employees and relevant records.

Addressing concerns over the replacement of CCTV cameras shortly before the controversy surfaced, Rangad clarified that the change was part of a routine upgrade after new high-resolution cameras were donated to the temple and that recordings from the earlier DVR system had been preserved for the investigation.

The controversy first came to light after allegations circulating on social media claimed irregularities during the counting of donations and offerings at the shrine.

COMPLAINT SOUGHT IMPARTIAL INQUIRY

The issue gained further attention after Bhairav Sena founder Sandeep Khatri submitted a complaint seeking an impartial inquiry and registration of an FIR.

The complaint alleged that the incident occurred during the counting of offerings and claimed it had been captured on CCTV footage, although officials have not confirmed the allegation.

Earlier, BKTC Chairman Hemant Dwivedi had said the committee had taken the allegations seriously and initiated action within 24 hours.

Show-cause notices were issued to the employees concerned, while an internal inquiry panel was constituted to examine the available evidence.

Dwivedi also clarified that the employee described on social media as his "personal secretary" was a regular BKTC employee and not his personal appointee.

With parallel investigations now underway by both the BKTC and the Uttarakhand government, attention is focused on the findings of the two inquiry panels.

Authorities have maintained that the allegations are still under investigation and that any departmental or legal action will depend on the evidence established during the probes.

- Ends