A suspended employee of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), accused of alleged irregularities in the handling of temple donations, has been arrested by Uttarakhand Police.
Pramod Nautiyal was taken into custody from his residence in Dehradun on Sunday night by Chamoli Police. He was later brought to Badrinath, where investigators are questioning him in connection with the case. Senior Superintendent of Police (Chamoli) Surjit Singh Panwar confirmed the arrest, according to PTI.
Nautiyal had been serving as the personal assistant to the BKTC chairman. The statutory body oversees the management of the Badrinath temple and several other shrines across Uttarakhand.
#WATCH | Uttarakhand | Pramod Nautiyal, an accused in the Badrinath temple donations alleged theft case arrested by the SIT from Dehradun.
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) July 13, 2026
The alleged accused says, "I have nothing to say. I am not at fault." pic.twitter.com/XN5bIy0N7F
Internal probe found prima facie evidence
The temple committee had suspended Nautiyal after a preliminary internal inquiry pointed to alleged irregularities in the management of donations offered by devotees.
A four-member inquiry committee constituted by the BKTC reportedly found the allegations against him to be prima facie true, following which departmental action was initiated.
Meanwhile, Nautiyal has challenged both his suspension and the FIR registered against him before the Uttarakhand High Court. The matter is scheduled to come up for hearing on July 17.
#WATCH | Chamoli, Uttarakhand | Chamoli SP Surjeet Singh Pawar says, “On 8 July 2026, a case was registered at the Badrinath Police Station by Yudhvir, an office-bearer of the Temple Committee… The complaint alleged irregularities in the accounting of the temple's offering… pic.twitter.com/dhYDoKa7u0
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) July 13, 2026
CCTV footage under scrutiny
Police said CCTV footage from the temple’s donation counting room forms a key part of the investigation.
According to investigators, the footage allegedly showed Nautiyal “suspiciously hiding or stealing” cash, gold and silver coins, shaligram stones and offering envelopes from the donation counting area.
Officials also claimed the footage showed him entering and leaving the counting room several times before heading to his office, raising suspicion that some of the missing items may have been concealed there.
Police further alleged that the footage captured bundles of Rs 500 and Rs 100 notes, gold and silver coins, shaligram stones and offering envelopes believed to contain between Rs 10,000 and Rs 12,000 being hidden or removed.
Multiple investigations underway
The case came to light after alleged discrepancies were noticed during the counting of donations collected at the Badrinath temple on July 2. A preliminary inquiry reportedly found that cash had been removed from the counting room without following the prescribed procedure.
The Uttarakhand government has since formed a three-member committee, headed by the Garhwal Division Commissioner, to investigate the matter and submit its findings.
Apart from the police investigation, the case is also being examined by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), the BKTC’s departmental inquiry committee and the state government’s high-level panel.
FAQs:
Who is Pramod Nautiyal?
He was the personal assistant to the chairman of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC).
Why was Pramod Nautiyal arrested?
He was arrested in connection with alleged irregularities in the handling of donations at Badrinath temple.
