DD Correspondent
Jammu, The alleged Rs. 550-crore “fake silver” offerings controversy at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji Shrine has entered a further stage, with police informing the Court that statements of certain senior Shrine Board officials are yet to be recorded as part of the ongoing enquiry.
The police have also informed the Court that 116 pages of official records, along with substantial CCTV and other electronic data related to the collection, segregation, storage, transportation and processing of metal offerings, have been received and are under examination.
The disclosures were made in a status report submitted by the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Bhawan, before the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Jammu, on September 19.
During the hearing, complainant Advocate Deepak Sharma appeared in person, while the Assistant Public Prosecutor submitted the DySP’s report. The Court took the report on record and perused it.
As the Enquiry Officer sought additional time to complete the enquiry, the Court granted further time and permitted the DySP to proceed with the investigation. The matter has been listed for October 10, 2026.
The proceedings stem from Sharma’s complaint seeking registration of an FIR and a fair, comprehensive and scientific investigation into allegations concerning the adulteration, substitution, pilferage and possible misappropriation of approximately 20 tonnes of silver offerings, reportedly valued at around Rs. 550 crore.
Senior Shrine Board Officials Yet to Be Examined
According to the status report, statements of Shrine Board officials, Pujaris, CRPF personnel deployed at Bhawan, J&K Police officials and Shrine Board security personnel connected with the relevant process have already been recorded.
Police stated that the procedure followed at the Bhawan premises for the collection, handling, segregation and storage of the “white metal” in the Strong Room/Store had been ascertained through statements of the concerned persons.
However, the report specifically states that statements of certain senior and concerned Shrine Board officials at Bhawan, whose examination is considered necessary for a comprehensive enquiry, are still pending.
CCTV Footage, Mint Records Under Examination
The DySP informed the Court that correspondence had been sent to the Joint Chief Executive Officer of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board/SDM Bhawan, seeking preservation and production of relevant CCTV footage.
The footage relates to the process involving the collection, segregation and storage of metal offerings in the Strong Room/Store, their transportation from Bhawan to Katra and the subsequent procedure.
Police have also sought relevant orders, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), rules, guidelines and prescribed procedures governing the handling, storage, transportation and processing of the offerings.
Records relating to the Indian Government Mint were also sought from the Shrine Board for preservation and examination. According to the report, material supplied in response to the police correspondence was received on August 18. It comprises 116 pages of orders, SOPs, procedures and records relating to the handling, storage, transportation and processing of the metal offerings.
The police further stated that the CCTV and other electronic data received are substantial in volume and require detailed and systematic examination. The footage is to be reviewed to identify relevant events, persons, movements and sequences and correlated with statements and documentary evidence collected during the enquiry.
Citing the volume of documentary and electronic material, the DySP sought additional time to complete scrutiny, verification and submission of the final enquiry report.
No FIR Disclosed So Far
Significantly, the status report, submitted after the complaint had remained under examination for more than four months, does not disclose registration of an FIR.
Advocate Deepak Sharma said the report demonstrates that substantial documentary and electronic evidence has been obtained and that several categories of officials and security personnel have been examined, while statements of certain senior Shrine Board officials remain pending.
He further said that officials responsible for supervision, custody, transportation, processing, accounting and institutional decision-making should be examined so that responsibility, if any, can be determined.
Sharma also stressed the need to preserve the original physical material, samples, remnants, resultant bars, CCTV footage, electronic records, Mint documents, audit records and chain-of-custody material.
The allegations remain subject to investigation and judicial determination. The complaint seeking registration of an FIR and a fair, comprehensive and scientific investigation will continue to be pursued before the competent Court in accordance with law.
A certified copy of the September 19, 2026 order, along with the typed copy and police status report, has been enclosed for reference and verification.
