Badrinath temple panel proposes pocket-free attire, stricter checks after donation theft case, report says

Fresh safeguards could soon be introduced in the handling of donations at the Badrinath temple after an internal review suggested tightening security inside the counting room following the alleged theft of cash and valuables by a temple employee, Hindustan Times reported.

The proposed changes come as police investigate alleged financial irregularities that surfaced during the counting of devotees' offerings on July 2. An FIR has been registered against suspended BKTC employee Pramod Nautiyal, who was serving as a personal assistant in the office of the Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) chairman. He has been booked under Sections 306 (theft by clerk or servant of property in possession of the master) and 316(5) (criminal breach of trust) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Amid the investigation, an internal BKTC panel has submitted recommendations aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future, Hindustan Times reported.

Among the suggestions is a proposal requiring all employees and volunteers involved in counting donations to wear clothes without pockets to minimise the possibility of concealing offerings.

"The panel has also recommended that everyone present inside the counting room, including employees and volunteers, be frisked strictly before leaving the room," a senior BKTC official told Hindustan Times.

The committee has also proposed strengthening surveillance in the counting room by installing more CCTV cameras. According to Hindustan Times, the room is currently monitored by three cameras, while the overall temple complex is covered by 32 CCTV cameras following a recent upgrade.

"If the recommendations are approved, we will increase the number of cameras in the counting room," the official said, adding that the proposal would be implemented only after the ongoing inquiries into the alleged theft are completed.

Apart from increasing surveillance, the committee has already upgraded its recording infrastructure by replacing the earlier 4 GB DVR with a 32 TB storage system, Hindustan Times reported.

"Earlier, the limited storage capacity meant footage was overwritten within about two weeks, depending on crowd density and recording quality. The new system will allow us to retain footage for a much longer period. We have also improved both the quality and the number of CCTV cameras across the Badrinath temple premises," another BKTC official told Hindustan Times.

BKTC Chief Executive Officer Sohan Singh Rangar said the findings of the departmental inquiry have already been forwarded to the committee chairman.

"There is currently no standard operating procedure (SOP) specifically for the counting room. Whatever decision is taken by the government will be implemented," Rangar said, according to Hindustan Times.

Explaining how the existing system functions, Rangar said devotees place offerings in sealed donation boxes through narrow openings, after which committee personnel carry out the counting with the assistance of volunteers whose details are recorded.

"When a donation box is full, three to four committee personnel carry out the counting. Devotees also voluntarily assist in the counting process, and their names and contact details are recorded. The counting room is under CCTV surveillance. We have never encountered such an incident before. Any gaps identified in the system will be addressed," he said.

The committee has also dismissed reports suggesting CCTV footage from the counting room had gone missing.

"No such fact has come to light during the departmental inquiry," Rangar said, as quoted by Hindustan Times.