A criminal case has been registered against a Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) official after allegations surfaced that temple offerings at Badrinath were illegally diverted. The accused officer has been identified as Pramod Nautiyal, Personal Assistant to the Committee Chairman.
An FIR has been filed at Badrinath Police Station under Sections 306 and 316(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. According to the complaint lodged by BKTC, Nautiyal is accused of misappropriating money collected as temple offerings.
The case is linked to an incident that took place on July 2 during the counting of donations from the Thali Bhent collection. An initial investigation found that some of the cash was allegedly removed from the counting centre during a 30-minute period between 9 am and 9.30 am.
After the initial findings, the BKTC suspended Nautiyal and later initiated legal action. Police have started investigating the matter to determine how the alleged diversion of funds took place and to ensure transparency in the donation system.
Earlier, the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee suspended Pramod Nautiyal with immediate effect as part of its disciplinary action.
The committee said a show-cause notice was issued to Nautiyal on July 3 after preliminary findings pointed to serious irregularities in his official duties. A four-member inquiry panel was also formed to conduct a detailed investigation.
After reviewing his response and the inquiry committee's report, the allegations were found to have prima facie merit. The panel recommended disciplinary action, stating that his presence in office could affect the ongoing investigation.
Based on these findings, BKTC placed Nautiyal under suspension to ensure a fair and unbiased probe.
During the suspension period, Nautiyal will receive a subsistence allowance as per the rules. He has been attached to the BKTC office in Joshimath, Chamoli district, and cannot leave the headquarters without prior permission. He has also been directed to cooperate fully with the inquiry.
Meanwhile, taking note of complaints related to donations and offerings at Badrinath Dham, the Uttarakhand government has formed a three-member high-level panel on the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to conduct a detailed investigation.
The committee will be headed by the Garhwal Commissioner. Its other members are Sandeep Tiwari, Managing Director of the National Health Mission (NHM), and Jagat Singh Chauhan, Director (Finance) in the Office of the Director General, Medical and Health Department.
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