Dibrugarh: The Sri Sri Kalibari Committee in Assam’s Dibrugarh has filed an FIR against former secretary Gopal Nandi over alleged financial mismanagement and serious anomalies during his tenure.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, Mainak Patra, the current secretary of Sri Sri Kalibari, said, “During his tenure, Ex-Secretary Gopal Nandi had custody of two golden crowns (mukut)—one large crown weighing approximately 16 tolas and another smaller one weighing about 10 tolas. These were traditionally adorned by Devi Maa during Kali Puja. Both crowns were under his responsibility.”
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On January 7, 2025, when I formally handed over the temple’s charge, Nandi admitted that he was missing the larger crown from his custody.
In the committee meeting, Nandi gave a written undertaking to compensate for the loss by paying Rs 24,37,500.
“Gopal Nandi neither disclosed the details of the cash collections and payments made during his term nor submitted the books of accounts to the new committee. The average annual collection is approximately ?10 lakhs. According to the cashier, Nandi used to collect the temple’s funds at his residence but failed to submit any expenditure records,” Patra alleged.
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He further claimed, “There were numerous financial discrepancies and mismanagement of funds during his term. We have lodged an FIR and are seeking a proper investigation.”
Patra also alleged that Nandi admitted to secretly selling around 75 tolas of gold donated by devotees over his 18-year tenure, without any official resolution or informing committee members, including the then-president.
“This includes about 8 tolas donated between 2022–23. He misappropriated the proceeds from these unauthorized sales,” Patra added.
Furthermore, Patra said, “The former secretary also misappropriated around Rs 5,00,000 by illegally selling iron, corrugated sheets, timber scraps, and other temple assets. He never submitted records of in-kind donations, including sarees and other offerings. He also accessed the Sri Sri Kalibari’s Punjab National Bank locker on February 16, 2022, just before handing over the charge to the new committee.”
Rinku Pal, treasurer of Sri Sri Kalibari, stated, “Nandi served as secretary for many years, during which significant mismanagement occurred. They must hold him accountable for every donation made by devotees toward the temple’s development.”
Biswajit Sarkar, assistant secretary of Sri Sri Kalibari, said, “We demand a high-level inquiry into the matter, and if he is found guilty, the authorities must take strict action against him.”
Committee president Manoj Chakraborty and other office bearers were also present at the press meet.