The Badrinath Dham donation theft case took a significant turn after Pramod Nautiyal, the key accused in the alleged donation handling irregularities at the Badrinath temple in Uttarakhand, was arrested from his residence in Dehradun, Uttarakhand Police said on Monday.
Nautiyal, who worked as the personal assistant to the chairman of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), was arrested by Chamoli Police on Sunday night and taken to Badrinath for questioning, senior superintendent of police (Chamoli) Surjit Singh Panwar was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
The investigation began after alleged irregularities surfaced during the counting of donations offered by devotees at the Badrinath temple on July 2. A preliminary enquiry reportedly found that cash had been removed from the donation counting room without following the prescribed procedure.
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Chamoli, Uttarakhand: Superintendent of Police (SP), Surjeet Singh Panwar says, "Badrinath Dham is a major centre of faith for people across India. A complaint was filed regarding alleged irregularities in the handling of offerings made through donation plates. The complaint was… pic.twitter.com/NnTF2qvqcU
— IANS (@ians_india) July 13, 2026
Key Arrest in Donation Theft Case
Nautiyal was suspended after a preliminary internal enquiry found alleged irregularities in the handling of donations at Badrinath Dham.
A four-member inquiry committee constituted by the BKTC found the allegations of irregularities in donation management against him to be prima facie true.
Last week, the Uttarakhand government also constituted a three-member committee headed by the Garhwal division commissioner to investigate the matter. The panel will submit its findings and recommendations to the state government.
Who is Pramod Nautiyal?
Pramod Nautiyal served as the personal assistant to the chairman of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), the statutory body responsible for managing the Badrinath temple and several other shrines in Uttarakhand.
#WATCH | Chamoli, Uttarakhand | Pramod Nautiyal, an accused in the Badrinath temple donations alleged theft case, brought back to Badrinath Police Station. He will be produced before the Gopeshwar court after this. pic.twitter.com/b94e2qu1a1
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) July 13, 2026
According to the BKTC, Nautiyal was suspended after a preliminary internal enquiry found alleged irregularities in the handling of donations at Badrinath Dham. A four-member inquiry committee subsequently found the allegations against him to be prima facie true, following which an FIR was registered and the police investigation was initiated.
He was arrested by Chamoli Police on Sunday night at his residence in Dehradun and taken to Badrinath for questioning in connection with the ongoing investigation. The case is being examined simultaneously by the police, the Special Investigation Team (SIT), the BKTC’s departmental enquiry committee, and a high-level committee constituted by the Uttarakhand government.
Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand High Court is scheduled to hear Nautiyal’s petition on July 17, in which he has challenged both his suspension and the FIR registered against him.
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CCTV Footage Raises Questions
Earlier, Uttarakhand Police said CCTV footage allegedly showed Nautiyal “suspiciously hiding or stealing” cash, gold and silver coins, shaligram stones, and offering envelopes from the temple’s donation counting room.
According to police, the footage allegedly showed him repeatedly entering and leaving the donation counting room before going to his office, raising suspicion that the missing items had been concealed there.
Police also said the footage showed Nautiyal hiding or stealing bundles of ₹500 and ₹100 notes, along with gold and silver coins, shaligram stones, and offering envelopes that were believed to contain between ₹10,000 and ₹12,000.
Four Probes, One Investigation
The case is currently being investigated simultaneously by the police, the Special Investigation Team (SIT), the BKTC’s departmental enquiry committee, and the high-level committee constituted by the Uttarakhand government.
Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand High Court is scheduled to hear a petition filed by Nautiyal on July 17 challenging both his suspension and the FIR registered against him.
After allegations of theft of offerings at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya surfaced, the Congress party targeted the BJP government after similar allegations surfaced at Badrinath Dham.
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