A Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged theft of donations at the Badrinath Temple has arrested suspended Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) employee Pramod Nautiyal from Dehradun, the Uttarakhand Police said on Monday.
The arrest marks a major development in the investigation into alleged irregularities during the counting of devotees’ offerings at one of India’s most revered temples. Police said they will seek Nautiyal’s custody as the probe continues alongside multiple parallel inquiries.
According to Uttarakhand Police, several teams were deployed to trace the accused before he was located in Dehradun. An SIT team reached the location, questioned him for about an hour and arrested him between 9.45 pm and 10.15 pm on Sunday.
He is scheduled to be produced before the Gopeshwar court on Monday.
CCTV footage forms key part of investigation
Police had earlier claimed that CCTV footage from July 2 showed Nautiyal allegedly concealing or stealing cash, gold and silver coins, shaligram stones and offering envelopes from the temple’s donation counting room.
According to investigators, the suspended employee was seen making repeated trips between the counting room and his office, raising suspicion that the allegedly stolen items were being hidden there.
“The accused Pramod Nautiyal is seen suspiciously hiding or stealing bundles of Rs 500 and Rs 100 notes, along with gold and silver coins, shaligram stones, and envelopes of offerings estimated to contain Rs 10 to 12 thousand rupees. Furthermore, while doing so, he is seen going back and forth between his office and the counting room two to three times. The police suspect that after stealing money, gold and silver coins, etc., from the counting room, he would store them in his office. This sequence of events was observed in the CCTV footage from July 2,” Uttarakhand Police said.
Probe began after donation counting irregularities
The investigation was launched after alleged irregularities surfaced during the counting of cash offerings at the Badrinath Temple on July 2. A preliminary inquiry found that cash had allegedly been removed from the counting area in violation of established procedures.
The FIR was registered at the Badrinath Police Station on a complaint filed by BKTC In-charge Temple Officer Yudhvir Pushpwan.
The SIT has also recorded the statements of Pushpwan, CCTV control officer Panwar and Harender Kothari, who was present during the counting process.
Meanwhile, Nautiyal has challenged both his suspension and the FIR before the Uttarakhand High Court.
The matter came up before Justice Alok Mehra, who directed the BKTC to file its response. The next hearing is scheduled for July 16.
The case is also being examined by the state police, the SIT, the BKTC’s departmental inquiry committee and a high-level committee headed by the Garhwal Commissioner.