The Shri Badrish Panda Panchayat, representing the Tirth Purohits of Badrinath Dham in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, has written to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on 17 July, demanding that the ongoing probe into alleged embezzlement of temple offerings be expanded to cover bribery for special darshan and unauthorised entry through Gate No. 2. The letter calls for a decisive crackdown on corruption at one of Sanatan Dharma's holiest shrines.

What the Panda Panchayat Has Alleged

According to the Panchayat's letter, certain individuals have allegedly been collecting money from pilgrims and devotees in exchange for facilitating special darshan — a practice it described as illegal. The body further alleged that employees from multiple departments posted at the shrine have been consistently permitting unauthorised entry through Gate No. 2, causing disorder and violating established temple-entry procedures.

In its own words, the Panchayat stated: 'The Shri Badrish Panda Panchayat welcomes the steps taken by you regarding the theft of offerings and hopes that strict legal action will be taken against those found guilty, thereby sending a clear message. Expanding the scope of the enquiry into the aforementioned matter, the Shri Badrish Panda Panchayat demands action against certain individuals who are facilitating unauthorised darshan for pilgrims and devotees in exchange for money.'

The letter added: 'Furthermore, employees from various departments working at the shrine are consistently allowing unauthorised entry through Gate No. 2, creating disorder; strict action must be ensured against such elements as well. The enquiry committee constituted by you should seriously consider these issues and include them in the investigation so that a decisive blow can be dealt to corruption in its entirety.'

Key Developments in the Embezzlement Case

The broader controversy centres on alleged financial irregularities in the handling of offerings at Shri Badrinath Dham. On Friday, officials confirmed that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested Rajendra Chauhan, a former temple officer and one of the key suspects in the case, following nearly four hours of questioning. Chauhan was to be produced before a court on Saturday.

His arrest followed the submission of an 18-page report by the four-member enquiry committee constituted by the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) on Thursday. The committee's findings led to the suspension of Pramod Nautiyal, who had been serving as a personal assistant in the office of BKTC Chairman Hemant Dwivedi. An FIR had already been registered against Nautiyal under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

What the Enquiry Committee Recommended

Among its key recommendations, the BKTC enquiry committee called for a mandatory dress code during the counting of offerings. It also recommended the installation of CCTV cameras in uncovered areas and inside the counting centre to ensure comprehensive surveillance and tighten monitoring mechanisms — gaps that, critics argue, allowed the alleged irregularities to go undetected.

Broader Context and Parallel Controversy

This comes amid a parallel investigation into alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, making temple financial governance a matter of national scrutiny. At Badrinath, claims about irregularities in offerings management had been circulating on social media before the formal inquiry was launched. The Panda Panchayat asserted that a thorough and impartial investigation could expose further irregularities in the shrine's administration.

What the Panchayat Is Asking For

The Panda Panchayat urged the government to ensure that any individual found guilty — whether in the embezzlement case or the bribery and gate-entry violations — faces strict legal action. It said such measures are essential to maintaining transparency in the management of Shri Badrinath Dham and preserving the faith of the millions of devotees who visit the shrine each year. The body also affirmed its readiness to cooperate fully with investigating agencies.

With the SIT investigation active and the BKTC report now in official hands, the coming weeks will test whether Uttarakhand's response to the scandal extends beyond individual arrests to systemic reform of temple administration.