A four-member team constituted to investigate allegations regarding irregularities in the management of offerings at Badrinath Dham in Uttarakhand has commenced its inquiry, officials said on Tuesday.
A senior official stated that the probe committee, comprising senior members of the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), would submit its report after examining available evidence, including CCTV footage, and recording the statements of the individuals concerned.
“The entire picture will become clear, and the truth will emerge within a few days,” he said.
Committee Chairman Hemant Dwivedi said, “Strict action will be taken against those found guilty as soon as the preliminary report is received.”
The committee was constituted last week following the allegations raised on social media.
Amid similar accusations of theft of offerings at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the emergence of such allegations at Badrinath Dham has led the Congress to criticise the Pushkar Singh Dhami government in the state.
Uttarakhand Congress president Ganesh Godiyal demanded a judicial inquiry or a probe by a joint committee of the Legislative Assembly into the entire matter.
Responding to the Congress’s demand, Dwivedi said that the committee is currently conducting only a preliminary inquiry, adding, “If the need arises, we are prepared for an investigation of any magnitude.”
Meanwhile, addressing allegations regarding the disappearance of laptops provided to the temple committee for official work, Temple Committee Vice-Chairman Rishi Prasad Sati clarified that these laptops had been issued to employees to facilitate their work.
He said, “A bank had provided eight laptops to the temple committee a few years ago, and these were handed over to employees to carry out the committee’s work.”