Suspicious cash count exposes irregularities
Munish Sood
MANDI:
A case of financial misconduct has rocked the Deotsidh Baba Balak Nath Temple Trust, one of North India’s most revered shrines, after discrepancies were detected during the counting of devotees’ offerings.
Acting on a complaint filed by Temple Officer and Tehsildar (Dhatwal) Sandeep Singh, the police at Barsar police station have registered a case against two temple employees for alleged embezzlement of temple funds.
The incident came to light during an audit on October 3, when officials reviewing records found irregularities in the cash bundles counted on September 29. A bundle of ₹500 notes, supposed to contain 100 notes, was found to have 140 notes instead — an excess of ₹20,000. The bundle had been prepared by counting clerk Keshav Dutt, raising immediate suspicion of deliberate manipulation.
CCTV footage confirms tampering
Upon verification of CCTV recordings from the temple’s counting hall, a security guard, Sarwan Singh, was seen handing over the suspicious bundle to Sanjay Kumar, the audit and finance officer, for re-checking. When recounted through the machine, the bundle was confirmed to contain 40 extra notes, validating the suspicion of tampering.
The footage further revealed that accountant Guru Chain Singh was also present beside the counting clerk during the final stage of counting — even though his role had no connection with the process. The same bundle was eventually passed to the audit officer by him, indicating collusion between the two staff members.
Preliminary investigation suggests that both employees misused their positions and acted in coordination to embezzle offerings from the temple’s trust funds. Police have arrested the accused — Keshav Dutt, a junior assistant from Chakmoh village in Barsar, and Guru Chain Singh, an accountant from Upper Dehla in Una district. Both face charges of criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of public funds.
Not the first controversy
This is not the first time financial irregularities have surfaced at the temple. The trust had previously faced scrutiny in the infamous ‘Bakra Kand’ (Goat Scam), raising long-standing concerns about transparency and internal controls within the temple administration.
Confirming the development, Superintendent of Police (Hamirpur) Bhagat Singh said that CCTV footage and other primary evidence have been secured as part of the investigation. “Further questioning may uncover additional details about the extent of the malpractice,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Hamirpur Deputy Commissioner Amarjeet Singh condemned the incident, saying corruption at places of worship is “unacceptable and shameful.” He added, “Religious institutions are built on faith. Anyone exploiting that faith for personal gain will face strict legal action.”
The Deotsidh Baba Balak Nath Temple, which draws lakhs of devotees each year from across India, now finds itself at the centre of an uncomfortable controversy — one that has shaken public confidence and highlighted the urgent need for greater financial accountability in temple management systems.
