Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) Chief Executive Officer Sohan Singh Rangad on Tuesday said strict action would be taken against anyone found involved in the alleged misappropriation of donations at the Badrinath Temple.
His remarks came after BKTC employee Pramod Nautiyal was arrested and sent to judicial custody. He was allegedly caught on CCTV stealing money from the temple offerings.
Rangad said the temple committee had formed a four-member internal panel to examine the earlier donation counting process. The panel has submitted its report to the BKTC chied, and it is likely to be shared with the Uttarakhand government soon.
He said the internal inquiry had identified certain issues and added that if the police or the committee found evidence against anyone else, they would also face action. "No one will be spared if found guilty," he said.
Responding to questions about the limited CCTV footage provided to investigators, Rangad said the old surveillance system had technical limitations. The DVR had a storage capacity of 4 TB and was connected to 16 cameras, making it difficult to retain footage for long during the peak pilgrimage season.
He explained that the heavy movement of pilgrims increased data usage, causing the storage to fill up quickly. He maintained that there was no attempt by the committee to hide or withhold evidence.
On why the alleged theft was not detected despite round-the-clock CCTV monitoring, Rangad said such an incident had never occurred in the temple's history. He said staff monitor several camera feeds at the same time and usually review specific footage only after receiving a complaint. He added that the committee acted immediately once the complaint was received and began examining the available footage.
Rangad also said the BKTC is fully cooperating with the police and the Special Investigation Team (SIT). He said investigators have complete freedom to take action against anyone found responsible and that the committee is not interfering with the probe.
He added that, at present, no other person has been identified as an accused. However, if further evidence emerges, the committee will take departmental action. He also noted that a separate government-appointed panel is conducting its own inquiry, alongside the police and the SIT.
The statement comes a day after Pramod Nautiyal was remanded to 14 days of judicial custody by the District and Sessions Court in Gopeshwar and sent to Pursadi District Jail.
Nautiyal was arrested on Monday by the Chamoli Police's Special Investigation Team from his residence in Dehradun.
Meanwhile, several other temple committee employees seen with the accused in CCTV footage recorded on June 25 have also come under the scanner as the investigation continues.
Also read: Congress politicising Badrinath donation probe: BKTC chief
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