A Jammu court has sought a detailed police inquiry report in the alleged ₹550-crore Vaishno Devi silver adulteration and misappropriation case while directing authorities to preserve all relevant evidence connected with the matter.
Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Munish Kumar Manhas passed the order while hearing proceedings initiated on a complaint filed by Advocate Deepak Sharma. The complaint alleges adulteration, substitution, pilferage, and possible misappropriation of nearly 20 tonnes of silver offerings donated by devotees at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine.
According to the allegations, the Shrine Board had sent approximately 20 tonnes of accumulated silver offerings to a government mint for melting, assaying, and storage. During examination, reports allegedly indicated that only a small percentage of the material was genuine silver, with the remainder comprising other metals such as cadmium and iron.
The complainant has alleged criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust, misappropriation, and manipulation of official records. He further contended that the matter disclosed cognizable offences requiring prompt investigation.
During the proceedings, an application was moved seeking immediate preservation of physical, documentary, and electronic evidence. The plea emphasized the need to safeguard remaining silver articles, stock records, vault registers, assay reports, transportation documents, CCTV footage, inventory records, official communications, accounting data, and digital audit trails.
Taking note of these concerns, the CJM directed the Deputy Superintendent of Police (Bhawan), Katra, to submit a comprehensive report regarding the ongoing inquiry and take appropriate action on the evidence-preservation application.
The court also underscored the importance of preserving evidence to prevent any potential destruction, alteration, transfer, or overwriting of records that may be relevant to the investigation. Reports submitted before the court indicate that the matter is presently at the inquiry stage and no FIR has yet been registered.
The case has attracted significant public attention due to the substantial value of the alleged silver offerings and the religious importance of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on August 18, when the court is expected to review the inquiry status and related records.