According to authorities, CCTV footage showed a person who looked ike a Badrinath temple employee who was suspended in connection with contribution theft exiting the vault room at least eight times with wads of cash, gold, and silver goods.
“Those who are suspected of being engaged in the heist are being questioned. The assistant superintendent of police for Chamoli, Madan Singh Bist, stated, “We have obtained additional CCTV footage and are analyzing it.”
The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) chairman’s personal assistant, Pramod Nautiyal, was suspended last week after the panel’s investigating committee determined that the accusations against him regarding anomalies in contribution handling were prima facie genuine.
A formal complaint has been filed against Nautiyal under BNS Section 316(5) (criminal breach of trust by particular trustees) and Section 306 (theft by an employee of their employer’s property).
Nautiyal filed a challenge to the accusations against him with the Uttarakhand High Court on Saturday. The state administration was requested to submit a response, and the high court scheduled the case for hearing on July 16. The Temple Committee is a government agency.
The July 2 CCTV film is important because it shows the same individual leaving the temple three times in a short period of time while attempting to hide large sums of money with his cell phone. A police officer who asked to remain anonymous stated, “He is also seen carrying some gold and silver coins in his hand.”
The committee began its investigation on July 5 when a number of local political and social figures reported that workers at the Kedarnath and Badrinath temples in Uttarakhand had stolen contributions, similar to what had happened at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
“We have started an inquiry into the allegations,” stated BKTC CEO Sohan Singh Rangad at the time. The CCTVs installed at the shrines have yielded a substantial amount of footage. Additionally, we have saved the last 40 days’ worth of CCTV footage for our research.
But Uttarakhand’s minister of tourism, culture, and irrigation, Satpal Maharaj, accused the opposition of making “unnecessary allegations” without providing any proof.
The Badrish Panda Panchayat, an association of pandas in Badrinath, recalled the minister’s statement in light of the current facts and stated that the theft of donations must have been ongoing for years but had only now come to light.
The panchayat’s chief, Pravin Dhyani, stated: “The accused are still at large.” They ought to be punished immediately in addition to being imprisoned.
The Badrinath theft issue is being investigated by a three-person team led by Garhwal divisional commissioner Anand Swaroop. The group is scheduled to provide its findings to chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami by July 22.
The four primary locations of the current Char Dham Yatra are Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. The temples have already seen more than 50 lakh pilgrims this year.
Also Read – Ram Mandir Donation Theft : SC Issues Notices, Seeks SIT Report Before Hearing CBI Plea