Jammu court seeks Crime Branch records in alleged Rs 550 crore fake silver offerings case.
Tests reportedly found only 5-6 per cent actual silver, triggering questions over supply chains and handling.
Advocate Deepak Sharma seeks probe into alleged fraud, while court reviews inquiry progress and records.
A Jammu court has directed a Jammu and Kashmir Police Crime Branch inquiry officer to appear personally with records on July 29 in connection with allegations of “fake silver” offerings worth around Rs 500 crore at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in the Trikuta Hills near Katra.
The direction was issued by Chief Judicial Magistrate Munish Kumar Manhas on Monday while hearing an application filed by Advocate Deepak Sharma.
The matter relates to reports that the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board had sent around 20 tonnes of accumulated silver offerings, valued at nearly Rs 550 crore, for testing, melting and processing, reported NDTV.
According to the allegations, only around 5-6% of the material was found to be actual silver after evaluation.
Following this, Sharma sought a detailed investigation into how the alleged adulteration took place and who could be responsible.
Sharma filed a detailed complaint on May 9, 2026, before the Inspector General of Police and the Senior Superintendent of Police of the Crime Branch Economic Offences Wing in Jammu.
The complaint alleged offences including criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust, misappropriation and manipulation of records.
It sought an investigation into whether vendors supplied fake silver to devotees or whether genuine silver was substituted, diluted or pilfered after being received.
The complaint also called for an inquiry into the source, manufacturing and supply chain of the alleged cadmium-laden material, along with fixing responsibility on those involved.
Sharma approached the court seeking an action-taken report, alleging that the Crime Branch had not taken effective steps on his complaint, according to the Indian Express.
A subsequent status report stated that the Crime Branch had forwarded the complaint to Crime Headquarters in Srinagar for approval and later to the Zonal Police Headquarters in Jammu for appropriate action.
Sharma filed objections on Monday, arguing that merely forwarding the complaint administratively did not amount to lawful action in a case involving cognizable offences.
Sharma argued that the Economic Offences Wing in Jammu is a notified police station under the Home Department and that its Superintendent of Police functions as the Station House Officer.
He contended that the wing should act independently under the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. He also pointed out that the status report did not mention any steps taken to preserve crucial evidence.
The court has now directed the Crime Branch inquiry officer to appear personally with records on July 29.
