A former employee of the Shri Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has been arrested in connection with alleged financial irregularities in the management of offerings and donations at the Badrinath Dham in Uttarakhand.
The arrest was made by the police on Friday, with Chamoli Superintendent of Police Surjeet Singh Panwar confirming that Rajendra Chauhan, a former counting officer, had been taken into custody as a co-accused in the case. Chauhan had retired from his post just a few days prior to his arrest.
According to SP Panwar, Chauhan’s involvement in the case came to light based on electronic, documentary, and oral evidence found during the investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the police. Chauhan has been brought from Jyotirmath to Badrinath, where he is currently being interrogated.
This is the second arrest made in connection with the case. Previously, suspended employee Pramod Nautiyal, who served as a personal assistant in the BKTC president’s office, was arrested. The police allege that Chauhan and Nautiyal conspired to misappropriate a portion of the money and other donations received during the Thali Bhet counting.
Analysis of CCTV footage and witness statements revealed that Chauhan was seen keeping bundles of Rs 500 notes, donation items, and jewellery in his pocket on multiple occasions. The allegations of misappropriation of offerings and donations at the temple first surfaced on social media on July 2, prompting the BKTC to constitute a four-member committee to investigate the matter.
The police formed an SIT to investigate the case, and after finding evidence, Nautiyal was arrested on July 12. In a separate development, the treasurer responsible for maintaining the records of offerings, Sandesh Mehta, has been removed from his position and transferred elsewhere due to discrepancies found in the register.
