Badrinath donation row: Temple panel chief's aide suspended, probe team formed

Published 7 July 2026 · india

Days after allegations of embezzlement of donations and offerings at Uttarakhand's revered Badrinath temple surfaced, the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has suspended Pramod Nautiyal, the Personal Assistant to panel Chairman Hemant Dwivedi, pending an inquiry. The move comes as both the temple committee and the Uttarakhand government intensify their investigations into the alleged irregularities, with a high-level government panel now tasked with probing the matter. Read Full Story Announcing the action, the BKTC said Nautiyal was suspended with immediate effect following a preliminary inquiry that found prima facie substance in the allegations against him. According to the committee, a show-cause notice was issued to him on July 3 after accusations of serious irregularities in the discharge of his official duties. At the same time, a four-member internal inquiry committee was constituted to conduct a fair and detailed investigation. After examining Nautiyal's explanation and the committee's preliminary findings, the allegations were found to be substantiated. The inquiry panel subsequently recommended disciplinary action. The BKTC also observed that allowing the employee to continue in his current position could potentially affect the fairness of the investigation.

Consequently, he has been suspended with immediate effect. During the suspension period, Nautiyal will receive a subsistence allowance as per service rules and has been attached to the BKTC office in Joshimath, Chamoli district. He has also been directed not to leave the headquarters without prior approval from the competent authority and to fully cooperate with the ongoing disciplinary proceedings. The committee reiterated that transparency, accountability and discipline remain its top priorities and that any proven irregularity would invite strict action under the rules. HIGH-LEVEL PROBE PANEL SET UP Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand government has also stepped in. Acting on the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the state has constituted a three-member high-level committee to investigate complaints relating to donations and offerings at Shri Badrinath Dham. The committee will be headed by the Garhwal Commissioner, with Health Mission Managing Director Sandeep Tiwari and Director (Finance) Jagat Singh Chauhan as members. As per the order issued by Tourism Secretary Dhiraj Singh Garbyal, the panel has been asked to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations and submit its findings and recommendations to the government within 15 days.