After Mumbai-based Sadhvi lodged a complaint at Badrinath police station against Badri Kedar Temple Committee (BKTC) chief executive officer BD Singh and former Rawal (chief priest) Vishnu Prasad Namboodari, alleging that they had misbehaved with and kidnapped one of her family members to grab her property, police said that a team would soon go to Mumbai to talk to the complainant and her family members following which the accused duo would be questioned and in case the allegation is found right they would be arrested. She had further alleged in the FIR that Singh had also misbehaved with her and abducted her with the same motive of grabbing her property.
Confirming that such a FIR had been lodged, Chamoli SP Tripti Bhatt said on Saturday that a team would soon visit Mumbai to procure more information about the case.
It is learnt that being a regular visitor of the Badrinath Temple, the Sadhvi came in contact with CEO BD Singh and former Rawal Vishnu Prasad Namboodari.
According to the Sadhvi, when she had reached temple in June 2017 Singh had called her in his room and misbehaved with her while threatening her for dire consequences in case she had resisted their attempt to grab her property. Police has lodged a case under section 120-B, 354, 364, 506 and 509 against the duo with the charge of the investigation being given to the Badrinath police station in-charge Deepak Rawat.
SP Bhatt said that to procure more information, the police team would visit Mumbai and meet her and her family members. “Thereafter, police would cross- examine both the accused - Singh and Namboodari. If the evidences to be collected support the Sadvi’s allegation the duo would be arrested,” she added.
Notably, sexual harassment allegation is not new for the Namboodari who was the chief priest of the Badrinath temple between 1992-2002. In 2014, a businesswoman had lodged FIR against him, charging him with misbehaving with her in a Delhi-based hotel.