Uttarakhand High Court to Hear Suspended BKTC Staffer's Challenge to FIR, Suspension in Badrinath Donation Case on July 16

A suspended employee of the Badri-Kedar Temple Committee (BKTC) has approached the Uttarakhand High Court seeking to quash both his suspension and the FIR filed against him in connection with the alleged misappropriation of donations at Badrinath Temple. The matter came up before a single bench of Justice Alok Mehra on Friday. During the hearing, the court asked the BKTC to present its response and scheduled the next hearing for July 16.

The employee, Pramod Nautiyal, has reportedly been out of contact since the controversy surfaced. Although he was transferred to the BKTC office in Joshimath after being suspended, he did not join his new posting. BKTC Chief Executive Officer Sohan Singh Rangad had earlier said that repeated attempts to reach Nautiyal had been unsuccessful.

The case stems from alleged discrepancies noticed on July 2 during the counting of cash offerings donated by devotees at the Badrinath Temple. According to the committee's preliminary findings, cash was allegedly removed from the counting area between 9:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., violating the prescribed procedures. Investigators reviewing CCTV footage claimed it appeared to show Nautiyal leaving the counting room with what looked like a bundle of currency notes concealed beneath a mobile phone. After the footage circulated on social media, the BKTC launched an internal investigation.

On the directions of BKTC Chairman Hemant Dwivedi, a four-member inquiry panel conducted a preliminary probe and found prima facie evidence of irregularities. Based on the panel's findings, the committee suspended Nautiyal with immediate effect and issued a notice asking him to submit his explanation within 48 hours.

An FIR was registered at Badrinath Police Station following a complaint filed by BKTC In-charge Temple Officer Yudhveer Pushpawan. The matter is currently being examined through three parallel investigations: a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the police, the BKTC's internal disciplinary inquiry, and a high-level committee headed by the Garhwal Commissioner. BKTC Finance Controller Hem Kandpal sought to reassure devotees, stating that the alleged actions of one employee should not be viewed as representative of the temple committee as a whole or its functioning.