Former Badrinath Temple officer Rajendra Chauhan has been arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the alleged theft of donation money from the Badrinath Temple. The arrest followed around four hours of questioning on Friday, with officials stating that Chauhan is among the key suspects being examined in the case.

The SIT is expected to produce Chauhan before the court on July 18 for further investigation. According to officials, investigators are examining CCTV footage and other evidence collected during the probe. The footage allegedly shows Chauhan collecting bundles of cash and keeping them in his pocket on June 22, June 25 and June 29, leading the SIT to summon him for questioning before making the arrest.

The investigation into the alleged donation theft has intensified after the SIT received an 18-page internal inquiry report prepared by the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC). Uttarakhand Police said the report has been handed over to investigators as part of the ongoing probe into suspected irregularities in the handling of temple donations.

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Police officials said the SIT has recovered and examined CCTV footage from June 22 and June 25, while additional footage from June 29 and July 2 has also been obtained for further analysis. Investigators are reviewing the recordings along with other available evidence to identify the individuals involved and understand the process through which donations were collected, counted and transported.

Earlier, a committee formed to examine the alleged theft visited Badrinath Dham on July 14 and reviewed the procedures followed for handling donations, including arrangements inside the counting room. The committee examined the security and operational systems involved in managing offerings made by devotees at the temple.

The SIT has also questioned Badrinath Temple Chief Executive Officer Sohan Singh Rangad and his Personal Assistant Atul Dimri as part of efforts to examine possible gaps in supervision. Investigators have been reviewing CCTV control room records, operational logs and donation-handling procedures to establish the sequence of events and determine responsibility in the alleged case.

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