Suspended Badrinath Temple official ‘admits’ role in funds theft

Police said silver coins, ornaments, Nepalese currency and cash were recovered during searches conducted.

Suspended Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) official Pramod Nautiyal has confessed his role in the alleged donation theft at the temple, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Uttarakhand Police said on Friday. To be sure, custodial confessions are not legally admissible as evidence in a court of law in India.

Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Uttarakhand government arrives to inspect the Badrinath Temple premises. (ANI Video Grab)

According to police, silver coins, ornaments, Nepalese currency and cash were recovered during searches conducted while Nautiyal, who served as the personal assistant to the BKTC chairman, was in police custody. He was arrested on July 12 . He was suspended on July 7 based on a preliminary report by a committee formed by BKTC on July 2.