JAMMU: A Jammu court has directed an inquiry officer of the Jammu and Kashmir Police Crime Branch to appear in person with records related to allegations that “fake silver” worth around Rs 500 crore was offered at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in the Trikuta Hills near Katra.The Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Jammu, presided over by Munish Kumar Manhas, asked the inquiry officer to remain personally present and produce the relevant records on the next date of hearing, scheduled for July 29, 2026, according to news agency PTI.The direction came during proceedings on an application filed by advocate Deepak Sharma, who had earlier submitted a detailed complaint to the Inspector General of Police, Crime Branch, Jammu, and the Senior Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch, Economic Offences Wing, Jammu. In his complaint, Sharma sought registration of an FIR and a comprehensive probe into the alleged adulteration, substitution and possible misappropriation of silver offerings made by devotees at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine.The complaint, submitted on May 9, 2026, alleged the commission of serious cognisable offences, including criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust, misappropriation, manipulation of records and the possible procurement or use of cadmium-laden material.Claiming that no effective action had been taken by the Crime Branch, Sharma approached the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court seeking an action-taken report and directions for registration of an FIR and investigation into the matter.In response to the court’s earlier directions, the Crime Branch filed a status report stating that the complaint had first been forwarded to Crime Headquarters, Srinagar, for approval and, after receiving approval, was sent to the Zonal Police Headquarters, Jammu, for “appropriate action”.Sharma filed objections to the status report, arguing that merely forwarding the complaint through administrative channels could not be considered lawful action on information disclosing cognisable offences. He contended that the Crime Branch, Economic Offences Wing, Jammu, is itself a notified police station under the relevant Home Department notification, with its Superintendent of Police functioning as the Station House Officer.He further argued that the Crime Branch was legally required to act on the complaint in accordance with the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and could not avoid its responsibility by forwarding the matter to another police authority.The objections also stated that the status report failed to mention any steps taken to preserve key evidence, including inventory registers, stock records, CCTV footage, dispatch and transportation documents, assay reports, Mint correspondence, electronic records and documents related to the receipt, storage, transportation, testing and melting of the offerings.
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After hearing the submissions, the court directed the Crime Branch inquiry officer handling the matter to appear personally before it with the relevant records on July 29.The controversy stems from reports that around 20 tonnes of accumulated silver offerings, estimated to be worth about Rs 550 crore, were sent for testing, melting and processing. However, only around five to six per cent of the material was reportedly found to be actual silver, while the remainder was allegedly “fake” and comprised cadmium, iron and other inferior metals.According to the complaint, the investigation should determine whether devotees had been sold fake or adulterated silver articles by vendors and jewellers, or whether genuine silver offerings were substituted, diluted, pilfered or misappropriated at any stage after receipt, including during inventory, weighing, storage, transportation, assaying or melting.The complaint also called for a probe into the source, manufacture, procurement and supply chain of the alleged cadmium-laden material and sought to fix responsibility on any officials, custodians, vendors, suppliers, handlers or transporters found to be involved.
