U’khand forms panel to probe ‘donation theft’ at Badrinath, suspends BKTC official

Dehradun: Not satisfied with the Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee’s (BKTC) initial response to allegations of donation theft at Badrinath shrine, Uttarakhand govt on Tuesday evening formed a high-level, three-member committee to conduct an independent probe.To ensure an unbiased inquiry, the state govt has suspended Pramod Nautiyal, the personal assistant posted in the BKTC chairperson’s office, with immediate effect. Nautiyal, who faced a show-cause notice on July 3 after an internal committee flagged serious irregularities against him, has been attached to the BKTC office in Joshimath for the duration of the suspension. The internal committee noted that his suspension was necessary to prevent any tampering with the investigation, as the preliminary allegations against him were found to be substantiated.The probe panel is headed by Garhwal commissioner Anand Swaroop and includes Sandeep Tiwari, managing director of Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN), and Jagat Singh Chauhan, a finance officer from the state finance department. The committee has been mandated to submit its comprehensive report within 15 days.“We had sought an explanation from the BKTC, but not many things were clear in their response. Therefore, a call was taken for a high-level probe,” state tourism secretary Dhiraaj Singh Garbyal told reporters.

The newly formed state panel is currently reviewing 40 days of CCTV footage from the shrine. Apart from investigating the alleged theft, the committee has been tasked with drafting recommendations to improve staff conduct and enhance transparency at the revered shrine. The panel has also been authorised to take help of legal, technical, or financial experts if required.The controversy erupted after Sandeep Khatri, founding member of Bhairav Sena, accused a BKTC staff member of stealing cash offerings from the shrine, sparking widespread public outrage just days after similar allegations of donation theft surfaced at the Ram Temple in UP’s Ayodhya.