A court in Jammu has directed the Katra Police to submit a detailed enquiry report in connection with the alleged pilferage, adulteration and misappropriation of nearly 20 tonnes of silver offerings made by devotees at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, estimated to be worth around Rs 550 crore.
Chief Judicial Magistrate Munish Kumar Manhas passed the direction while hearing a petition filed by advocate Deepak Sharma in the matter titled Deepak Sharma, Advocate v. Inspector General of Police, Crime Branch, Jammu. The Court sought a comprehensive status report on the ongoing enquiry and directed the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP), Bhawan, Katra, to place before it a detailed report regarding the investigation being carried out.
According to reports, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board had sent nearly 20 tonnes of silver offerings received from devotees to a government mint in May, 2026, for standard melting, verification and secure storage. During the process, it was allegedly discovered that a substantial portion of the consignment was not genuine silver. Preliminary findings reportedly indicated that only around five per cent of the entire consignment was found to be authentic silver, raising serious concerns over alleged substitution, adulteration, criminal breach of trust and large-scale misappropriation of the offerings.
The application before the Court sought immediate preservation of all physical, documentary and electronic evidence connected with the alleged offence to ensure that material evidence is not destroyed or tampered with during the enquiry. Taking note of the submissions, the Court on July 29 directed the police authorities to take appropriate action and furnish the status of the ongoing enquiry.
The petition was filed after the complainant sought an action taken report on an earlier complaint submitted to the Inspector General of Police, Crime Branch, Jammu, and the Senior Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch (Economic Offences Wing), Jammu, alleging financial irregularities and seeking a criminal investigation into the matter.
A preliminary status report placed before the Court revealed that the complaint was initially processed by the Crime Headquarters of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, which approved its transfer to the Zonal Police Headquarters, Jammu. The matter was subsequently forwarded to the Inspector General of Police, Jammu Zone, who referred it to the Senior Superintendent of Police, Reasi. Thereafter, the enquiry was entrusted to the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Katra, for further examination.
The status report further informed the Court that the matter remains at the preliminary enquiry stage and that no First Information Report (FIR) has been registered so far. The Court is expected to examine the progress of the enquiry after the police file the detailed report. The matter has been listed for further hearing on August 18.
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