Vaishno Devi News: The case of embezzlement of donations of Ayodhya’s Ram temple had not yet stopped that now the controversy of offering worth about Rs 500 crore in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine has come to light. Due to which there has been a stir across the country.
Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir): A Jammu court has taken a major step in the alleged case of offering of ‘fake silver’ worth about Rs 500 crore at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine. The court has asked the investigating officer of the Crime Branch of Jammu and Kashmir Police to appear personally along with all the records related to the case. The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Jammu, Munish Kumar Manhas has given this order. He has directed the investigating officer of the Crime Branch to appear before the court in the next hearing to be held on July 29, 2026.
How did the Vaishno Devi offering controversy come to light?
- This whole matter started on an application by lawyer Deepak Sharma. He had earlier lodged a detailed complaint before the IG of Crime Branch, Jammu and the SSP (Economic Offenses Wing). In this complaint, a demand was made to register an FIR and investigate, alleging adulteration, manipulation and embezzlement of silver offerings made by devotees at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji Shrine.
- In this complaint dated May 9, 2026, serious allegations were made like criminal conspiracy, cheating, breach of trust, manipulation of records and use of metal like cadmium.
- When the Crime Branch did not take any concrete action on this, the complainant Deepak Sharma approached the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Jammu. He appealed to the court to ask for an action-taken report and register an FIR in the matter and order an investigation.
- On the instructions of the court, the crime branch filed a status report. It said the complaint was first sent to Crime Headquarters, Srinagar for approval and after approval, it was sent to Zonal Police Headquarters, Jammu for ‘appropriate action’.
Why were big questions raised on the investigation of Vaishno Devi offerings?
- On this, lawyer Deepak Sharma expressed strong objection and argued that merely sending a complaint from one department to another is not a legal action. He said that the Economic Offenses Wing of the Crime Branch itself is a notified police station and its Superintendent of Police works like an SHO.
- Sharma argued that under the Indian Civil Defense Code, 2023, the crime branch should have processed the complaint itself and not forward it to any other police authority.
- The objections also pointed out that there is no mention in the status report as to what steps were taken to preserve important evidence like inventory register, stock records, CCTV footage, transportation documents, investigation reports and receipts of offerings, storage, transportation and smelting related records.
- After hearing the arguments from both the parties, the court ordered the Crime Branch investigating officer attached to the case to appear in person with all the records on July 29, 2026.
Is there a question about 20 tonnes of silver in the offering?
- The controversy came to light after reports said that about 20 tonnes of silver in the offering, which is said to be worth around Rs 550 crore, was sent for testing, smelting and processing. But reportedly only five to six percent of it turned out to be genuine silver, while the rest of the material was ‘fake’ and contained cadmium, iron and other base metals.
- The complaint sought an investigation into whether shopkeepers and jewelers sold fake or adulterated silver to devotees, or whether the genuine silver offered as offerings was altered, adulterated or stolen at any stage. Apart from this, a demand has also been made to investigate the source, manufacturing and supply chain of the material containing cadmium, so that the responsibility of all the officers, employees, vendors and transporters involved in it can be fixed.