- The inquiry committee submitted an 18-page report on Badrinath temple offering theft
- Suggestions include dress code, new CCTV, robust surveillance, and involving devotees
- Allegations of misappropriation of temple offerings surfaced on social media on July 2
An inquiry committee constituted by the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) to probe the alleged theft of offerings at Uttarakhand's Badrinath temple submitted its report on Thursday.
BKTC Chief Executive Officer Sohan Singh Rangad confirmed that the four-member team has submitted its 18-page investigation report, which offers several suggestions to prevent the theft of temple offerings.
These include implementing a dress code during the counting process, installing new CCTV cameras in the uncovered areas and the counting centre, making the surveillance system more robust and accountable, and establishing a procedure to involve devotees in the counting process.
The BKTC constituted the committee after allegations of misappropriation of temple offerings surfaced on social media on July 2.
Based on the committee's preliminary report, Pramod Nautiyal – who was posted as a personal assistant in the BKTC chairman's office – was suspended. Subsequently, a case was registered against Nautiyal, who was arrested on July 13.
Sandesh Mehta, the temple treasurer, has also been transferred after instances of overwriting were found in the register recording the offerings made at the shrine.
Meanwhile, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the matter is investigating the possibility of others being involved in the case apart from Nautiyal.
Police sources said the SIT, headed by Chamoli DSP Madan Singh, is analysing footage of Nautiyal's past ‘suspicious' activities recorded on CCTV cameras.
According to sources, the SIT has initiated efforts to recover previously deleted CCTV footage.
An investigation into the case by a three-member committee constituted under the direction of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and headed by Garhwal Commissioner Anand Swarup is also underway.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
