New Delhi, July 13, 2026: In a major breakthrough following days of rising tension and public outcry, the Uttarakhand Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) has arrested Pramod Nautiyal, a suspended employee of the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC). Nautiyal, who served as the high-profile Personal Assistant to the BKTC Chairman, was taken into custody on Sunday night from his private residence in Dehradun.
The arrest marks the first major police action in a rapidly escalating scandal centered on the alleged theft and mismanagement of millions of rupees worth of sacred offerings made by devotees at the world-famous Badrinath Dham.
How the Controversy Unfolded
The controversy originally ignited in early July when serious allegations regarding the mishandling of temple donations began circulating widely across social media platforms. The online outrage prompted ‘Bhairav Sena’, a local social organization, to step in and file a formal complaint with the authorities, demanding an immediate investigation and the registration of a First Information Report (FIR).
Responding to the growing public pressure, the BKTC—a statutory body responsible for managing the Badrinath and Kedarnath temples along with 44 other shrines across Uttarakhand—quickly established an internal, four-member inquiry panel. The preliminary findings of this panel confirmed that established financial and security protocols were grossly violated during the cash-counting process. As a result, Nautiyal was officially suspended from his position as the temple administration vowed to maintain a zero-tolerance policy against any form of corruption.
The Incriminating CCTV Evidence
As the state police and the SIT took over the criminal proceedings, the investigation pivoted heavily toward digital evidence. Detectives meticulously reviewed security tapes from the temple’s highly secure donation-counting room, focusing on the events of July 2.
According to senior investigators, the visual evidence against Nautiyal is substantial. The state police released a formal statement detailing the sequence of events captured on camera.
Following his late-night arrest in Dehradun after an intense, hour-long interrogation, the Chamoli Police immediately transported Nautiyal back to Badrinath. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Surjit Singh Panwar confirmed that the accused is being heavily interrogated at the scene of the crime to map out the full extent of the operation and determine whether any other insiders were involved. The police are scheduled to produce Nautiyal before the Gopeshwar court to seek his formal police custody for further tracking of the stolen assets.
Multiple Parallel Investigations Launched
The case has deeply rattled both religious and political circles in Uttarakhand, leading to an extraordinary administrative response. Currently, four distinct entities are simultaneously running parallel investigations into the temple’s financial dealings:
- The Special Investigation Team (SIT): Tasked with handling the criminal theft, tracking the recovered money, and prosecuting the offenders.
- The Uttarakhand State Police: Managing ground-level tracking, taking statements, and enforcing court orders.
- The BKTC Departmental Inquiry Committee: A four-member internal panel reviewing systemic loopholes in administrative protocol.
- High-Level Government Committee: Formed directly by the Uttarakhand state government and headed by the Garhwal Division Commissioner, this three-member board is investigating wider financial mismanagement.
The scope of the investigation widened exponentially when a separate, state-level audit uncovered further financial discrepancies. A government inquiry report highlighted that advance funds from the temple corpus had been illegally released without proper administrative approvals. This money was reportedly spent on the lavish accommodation, food, and miscellaneous travel expenses of VIP guests visiting the Kedarnath establishment. The report directly questioned the roles of several former top executives, including the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Kedarnath Manager, prompting the state to order strict disciplinary action under the historic Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Act of 1939.
Political Backlash and Devotee Sentiments
The timing of the Badrinath donation scandal has created a volatile political environment in the hill state. Coming on the heels of similar public scrutiny regarding religious donation handling across other prominent shrines in India, the opposition party has turned up the heat on Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s administration.
Uttarakhand Congress President Ganesh Godiyal launched a scathing attack on the state government, demanding either an independent judicial inquiry or a dedicated investigation by a joint committee of the state Legislative Assembly. Political leaders argue that irregularities at such highly revered shrines deeply wound the sentiments of millions of pilgrims who travel from across the globe, often pouring their life savings into temple donations.
In response, the BKTC administration has sought to reassure the public. Traditionally, the counting of cash offerings at the shrine involves a transparent, multi-tiered process that includes temple committee staff, certified bank officials, and verified local volunteers. The committee has urged the public and media houses to refrain from spreading unverified rumors while the multi-agency probe takes its course, promising that anyone found guilty of exploiting the faith of the devotees will face the strictest possible legal consequences.
Next Legal Steps
Before his dramatic arrest on Sunday night, Nautiyal had proactively moved the Uttarakhand High Court, filing a petition to challenge both his administrative suspension and the criminal FIR lodged against him by BKTC In-charge Temple Officer Yudhvir Pushpwan.
The legal battle is set to intensify soon. Justice Alok Mehra has formally directed the temple committee to file an official response to the accused’s petition, setting the next high court hearing for July 16. With the SIT now firmly holding custody of the primary accused and analyzing days of backup CCTV recordings, the police maintain that more arrests could be on the horizon as they unravel the full depth of the financial irregularities.