Chamoli (Uttarakhand) [India], July 14 : A committee constituted to examine the alleged theft of donations at the Badrinath Temple visited Badrinath Dham and reviewed the process of how donations are handled and transported and arrangements within the counting room.
Speaking to ANI, Managing Director (MD) of the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN), Sandeep Tiwari, said, "Today, we visited Badrinath Dham under the chairmanship of the Commissioner to inspect the entire process, specifically, how donations are handled, how the donation boxes are transported to the counting room, the arrangements within the counting room, the CCTV setup, the staff involved in the counting, and the timing of the bank officials' arrival. We have reviewed this entire procedure as well as past CCTV recordings.
"We have also examined the details regarding the arrested accused. Since this was our first visit to observe the process, the investigation will continue; we will record statements from the complainant and provide an opportunity for members of the public to share any information they might have. We are also authorised to seek expert opinions, such as from forensic experts or the cyber cell, if necessary," he added.
Pauri Garhwal Commissioner Anand Swaroop said, "We observed the procedure here today, and an FIR has been registered with the police. The police are conducting their own investigation. If we require additional facts or receive further evidence, we will proceed accordingly," he said.
Meanwhile, a high-level, three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrived at the temple to probe the suspected misappropriation of funds, immediately turning up the heat on top administrative officials.
The SIT, led by Garhwal Commissioner Anand Swaroop and featuring senior finance and management officers, launched its ground operations by targeting the temple's executive core.
Earlier, Uttarakhand Congress President Ganesh Godiyal and Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) Chairman Hemant Dwivedi had openly traded allegations, further intensifying the controversy.
BKTC Chairman Hemant Dwivedi accused the Congress of politicising the issue, claiming that Ganesh Godiyal had served as the Chairman of the Temple Committee for a long period and that several questions had also been raised during his tenure.