Former Badri Nath Temple Official Arrested in Donation Theft Probe

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) in Uttarakhand arrested Rajendra Singh Chauhan, a former Thali Bhet calculation officer of the Badri Nath–Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), on suspicion of misappropriating cash donations. CCTV footage captured Chauhan handling bundles of cash and placing them in his pocket on several occasions in late June, leading to a four‑hour interrogation and formal arrest on 17 July. The SIT, which earlier detained BKTC employee Pramod Nautiyal on 12 July, also questioned the temple’s chief executive officer Sohni Singh Rangad and assistant Atul Dimri, and reviewed an 18‑page internal report supplied by BKTC. investigators are probing the handling, counting and storage of temple donations to determine whether further irregularities exist. The case has heightened concern among pilgrims who visit the sacred site each year.

The investigation remains ongoing, with further arrests or actions possible as evidence is examined.