Uttarakhand Police have arrested another person in the Badrinath Temple donation theft case. The latest arrest is linked to the alleged theft of offerings and other donated items from Shri Badrinath Temple.
According to a police press release, CCTV footage from the temple showed the accused behaving suspiciously inside the Thali Bhent Counting Room. The accused, Manoj Kumar, worked as a security guard at the Lam Bagad barrage of the hydroelectric project run by JP Power Ventures Limited in Joshimath.
Police said Manoj Kumar was also sent to the Badrinath Temple by project officials to help arrange VIP darshan for guests and relatives of senior company officials, according to the release.
An FIR was registered at Kotwali Shri Badrinath after offerings and donation material were reported missing from the temple. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been probing the case. Before the latest arrest, two temple committee employees allegedly linked to the theft had already been arrested and sent to judicial custody.
As part of the investigation, the SIT examined CCTV recordings from June 25 and June 29 on August 6. The footage reportedly showed a man repeatedly picking up items from the donation material and putting them into his pocket.
Temple committee employees were questioned about the man seen in the footage. They identified him as Manoj Kumar, a security guard posted at the Lam Bagad barrage of JP Power Ventures. Police also learned that he had been sent to the temple to assist with VIP darshan arrangements for guests and relatives of senior officials of the company.
Based on the CCTV evidence, the SIT suspected Kumar of stealing donation material. Section 305 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was subsequently added to the case on August 6.
The SIT called Kumar to the police station for questioning on August 7. Investigators showed him the CCTV footage from June 25 and June 29. During questioning, he allegedly confessed to the theft and apologised.
When asked about the missing items, Kumar allegedly told investigators that some were kept at his home in Lam Bagad, while others had been sold to pilgrims. He reportedly said that some of the money from the sales was kept in his room, while part of it was spent on hospitality for guests visiting the JP company as part of its protocol arrangements.
Investigators also checked Kumar's mobile phone and reportedly found photographs of the stolen items in the recycle bin. According to the police, he had photographed the items after taking them to his room and placing them on his bed. Kumar was then arrested and taken to his residence at FH-5-I, Room No. 03, Lam Bagad.
Based on information provided by the accused, the SIT recovered several items. These included two pairs of white-metal toe rings (bichhiya), four white-metal earrings, one yellow-metal nose ring, seven white or copper-coloured metal coins, two pieces of white metal and a square-shaped white-metal idol.
The recovered items also included two small white-metal bangles, a small white-metal coin kept in a plastic pouch, one hand bracelet and a small white-metal rod decorated with a peacock feather and a red-coloured stone. Police also recovered Rs 6,000 in cash, which the accused allegedly earned by selling some of the stolen material.
The SIT is continuing its investigation into the case. Police said more details may emerge as the probe progresses.
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