After Ayodhya, Donation Theft Row Rocks Badrinath Temple, Committee Orders Probe

Donation Theft Row: Amid the controversy surrounding the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya, allegations of misappropriation of devotees’ offerings have surfaced at Uttarakhand’s Badrinath Temple, with a Hindu organisation accusing an employee of the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) of stealing donation money from the holy shrine.

Sanjeev (Sandeep) Khatri, president of organisation named Bhairav Sena, has alleged that a BKTC employee, whom he described as the personal assistant to the committee chairman, misappropriated offerings made by devotees at the temple.

In a letter surfacing on social media platforms, Khatri alleged that the incident took place on July 2 between 8 am and 8:30 am.

He claimed the organisation received information from sources within the temple committee and subsequently gathered its own inputs before submitting a complaint to the BKTC Chief Executive Officer.

In a memorandum addressed to BKTC CEO Sohan Singh Ranghar, Bhairav Sena demanded that CCTV footage from the time of the alleged incident be made public and sought a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the matter. The organisation also warned of an agitation if no action is taken.

Allegations of Donation Theft Surface at Badrinath Temple

After Ayodhya, allegations of donation theft have now surfaced at the Badrinath Temple. Kaal Bhairav Sena president Sanjeev Khatri has accused the personal assistant to the BKTC chairman of stealing donation money from… pic.twitter.com/v4ulqbgDu6

— Atulkrishan (@iAtulKrishan1) July 3, 2026

The memorandum further sought the immediate suspension of the employee concerned, registration of an FIR if prima facie evidence is found, and an impartial investigation into the alleged misappropriation of donations.

Temple Committee Orders Probe

Responding to the allegations, BKTC Chairman Hemant Dwivedi has said that the allegations circulating on social media had been taken seriously and an inquiry committee had been constituted to conduct an impartial, fact-based investigation.

Uttarakhand: Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) Chairman Hemant Dwivedi has stated that the allegations circulating on social media regarding the alleged misappropriation of offerings and donations at Shri Badrinath Dham have been taken with the utmost seriousness.…

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) July 3, 2026

He said that explanations had been sought from the employees concerned and assured that strict action would be taken under the rules if anyone was found guilty.

Dwivedi also clarified that the employee being referred to on social media as his “personal secretary” is not his personal secretary but a regular employee of the temple committee who has previously served as a personal assistant to three former BKTC chairmen.

He said the committee was committed to maintaining transparency in the management of temple offerings and that appropriate action would follow if the allegations were substantiated by the inquiry.

BKTC CEO Sohan Singh Ranghar also said that notices are being issued to the employee concerned as well as staff members who were on duty at the relevant time. He said the CCTV footage would also be examined as part of the inquiry.

Ram Temple Donation Row

The incident came amid the controversy surrounding the Ayodhya Ram Temple donation theft. The case centres on allegations that cash and valuables donated to the temple may have been misappropriated. Questions have been raised over the handling of 70 kg of silver, 1,250 kg of gold, Rs 200 crore in cash and other donated items, including offerings linked to Lord Ram’s idol and sacred padukas.

Champat Rai resigned as the former general secretary of the temple trust following the SIT probe into the alleged donation theft. Meanwhile, lawyers in Ayodhya are preparing to file a complaint against Champat Rai demanding registration of an FIR over the alleged irregularities.