Gopeshwar, Jul 17 (PTI): Police on Friday arrested a former official of the Shri Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) in connection with alleged financial irregularities in the management of offerings and donations at the Badrinath Dham in Uttarakhand.
Chamoli Superintendent of Police Surjeet Singh Panwar said Rajendra Chauhan, a former counting officer, had been arrested as a co-accused in the case.
Chauhan retired from the post a few days ago.
He said that Chauhan was arrested after his involvement came to light on the basis of electronic, documentary and oral evidence found during the investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the police.
SP Panwar said that the accused has been brought from Jyotirmath to Badrinath where he is being interrogated.
This is the second arrest in this case. Prior to Chauhan, suspended employee Pramod Nautiyal, who served as a personal assistant in the BKTC president's office, was arrested.
According to the police, analysis of CCTV footage of the Thali Bhet counting room on various dates by the SIT and statements of the concerned witnesses revealed that Chauhan, in connivance with Nautiyal, had taken possession of a part of the money and other donations received during the Thali Bhet counting under a criminal conspiracy.
Police said that in the CCTV footage, Chauhan was clearly seen several times on June 22, 25 and 29, keeping bundles of Rs 500 notes, donation items and jewellery in his pocket.
On July 2, after allegations of alleged misappropriation of offerings and donations at the temple surfaced on social media, the BKTC had constituted a four-member committee and on the basis of its preliminary report, Nautiyal was suspended and a police case was registered against him.
The police formed an SIT to investigate the matter and after finding evidence, Nautiyal was arrested on July 12.
Apart from this, after "overwriting" was found in the register containing the records of offerings of the temple, the treasurer engaged in this work, Sandesh Mehta, has also been recently removed from there and transferred elsewhere. PTI DPT NB NB
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