The SIT has intensified its investigation into the alleged embezzlement of donations at Badrinath Dham
July 12, 2026: The investigation into the alleged embezzlement of donations at Uttarakhand’s Badrinath Dham has intensified after a preliminary internal enquiry revealed irregularities in the handling of temple offerings. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) visited the shrine, reviewed CCTV footage, examined call records, and recorded statements of key witnesses. The case comes amid the ongoing controversy over the alleged theft of donations at the Ayodhya Ram Temple.
Police alleged that suspended Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) employee Pramod Nautiyal was seen in CCTV footage suspiciously removing cash, gold and silver coins, shaligram stones, and donation envelopes from the temple’s counting room. Investigators are analysing footage from June 25 and June 29 while examining Nautiyal’s phone records. An FIR has been registered against him under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and he has challenged both his suspension and the FIR before the Uttarakhand High Court.
The alleged irregularities came to light during the counting of devotees’ offerings on July 2, prompting parallel investigations by the SIT, Uttarakhand Police, the BKTC’s departmental enquiry committee, and a high-level panel headed by the Garhwal Commissioner. The case has also drawn political attention as it follows the Ayodhya Ram Temple donation controversy, where eight people have already been arrested and investigators are continuing to probe the alleged embezzlement network.