badrinath-donation-theft-sit-seizes-cctv-records

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has collected important digital evidence in the alleged Badrinath Temple donation theft case. Investigators have seized surveillance records from the temple as part of the ongoing probe.

 

SIT officer Mahadev Uniyal said the police have taken control of the temple's CCTV records to examine whether there were any irregularities in the handling of donations.

 

Uniyal said the SIT has seized the Network Video Recorder (NVR) from the temple's CCTV control room. According to him, the device contains complete CCTV footage from June 22 and June 25.

 

He also said some earlier recordings linked to cash-counting sessions were found to be tampered with or removed. The footage recording will now be sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in an attempt to recover the data.

 

When asked whether more people could be involved, Uniyal said investigators have identified some suspicious individuals. He added that a detailed inquiry is underway to determine their role.

 

On July 14, a committee formed to examine the alleged theft visited Badrinath Dham to inspect the entire donation handling process. The team reviewed how donation boxes are transported, the arrangements inside the counting room and the overall system in place.

 

Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) Managing Director Sandeep Tiwari said the committee inspected every stage of the process. It reviewed the transportation of donation boxes, CCTV coverage, counting procedures, staff deployment and the arrival of bank officials. The team also examined CCTV footage from previous occasions.

 

Tiwari said the committee also looked into details related to the arrested accused. As this was the first inspection, the investigation will continue. Statements of the complainant will be recorded, and members of the public will be allowed to share any relevant information. He added that forensic and cyber experts could also be consulted if required.

 

Meanwhile, the SIT also questioned Badrinath Temple Chief Executive Officer Sohan Singh Rangad and his personal assistant, Atul Dimri, as part of the investigation. Officials are also examining CCTV records and operational logs to understand how daily donations were received, stored and counted.