Was fake silver worth Rs 500 crore offered at Vaishno Devi? Court seeks answers

The complaint dated May 9 this year had alleged serious cognizable offences, including criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust, misappropriation, manipulation of records and the possible procurement or use of cadmium-laden material.

‘No effective action’

The complainant said that he approached the court seeking an action-taken report and an appropriate direction for the registration of an FIR and investigation of the case, claiming that no effective action was disclosed by the Crime Branch.

The Crime Branch had filed a status report pursuant to the court’s directions, stating that the complaint had initially been forwarded to Crime Headquarters, Srinagar, for approval and, after receipt of such approval, it was thereafter forwarded to the Zonal Police Headquarters, Jammu, for “appropriate action”.

Advocate Sharma, in his detailed objections to the status report on Monday, argued that the mere administrative forwarding of the complaint does not amount to lawful action upon information disclosing cognizable offences. He submitted 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 argued that the Crime Branch was statutorily required to deal with the complaint in accordance with the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and could not avoid its legal responsibility merely by forwarding the complaint to another police authority.

He also pointed out that the status report did not disclose any steps having been taken for the preservation of crucial evidence.

After hearing the arguments, the CJM directed the Crime Branch Inquiry Officer connected with the matter to remain personally present before the court along with the relevant records on July 29.

The scandal

The controversy arose from reports that approximately 20 tonnes of accumulated silver offerings made at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, stated to be worth around Rs 550 crore, had been sent by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board for testing, melting and processing, and that only around 5-6% of the material was reportedly found to be actual silver.

The complainant sought an investigation into whether devotees had been sold fake or adulterated silver articles by vendors and jewellers, or whether genuine silver offerings had been substituted, diluted, pilfered or misappropriated at any stage after their receipt.

He also sought an investigation into the source, manufacture, procurement and supply chain of the alleged cadmium-laden material, as well as the fixing of responsibility upon all persons found involved.