Vaishno Devi Silver Scam: A major controversy has erupted at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Jammu and Kashmir after an investigation revealed that only 5 to 6 per cent of approximately 20 tonnes of silver jewellery sent by the Shrine Board to a government mint was genuine silver.
According to a report by The Economic Times, the jewellery, estimated to be worth Rs 550 crore, contained only about Rs 30 crore of genuine silver. The investigation also uncovered the presence of other metals, such as cadmium, a toxic and carcinogenic substance.
Goldsmith Association Demands Probe
After the investigation revealed that a significant portion of the silver offerings at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine were made up of toxic metals, the Goldsmith Association of Katra and Jammu Province held a press conference, expressing serious concern over the findings and requesting the administration to conduct strict inspections in the market.
According to the organisational meeting document released along with the press conference, the meeting was chaired by Sudarshan Kumar Kohli, President of the Goldsmith Association, Kathua. The meeting was attended by several senior members, including Vinay Luthra (Secretary, Jammu Province), Ashutosh Kapoor, Ajay Verma, Amit Hira, Raman Verma, and Sohit. To highlight their commitment to the issue, 17 members signed an official document, according to Jagran.com.
Similar Reports Come To Light
Association officials stated that reports of counterfeit metals being found in silver jewellery and religious items offered at the shrine have surfaced. They highlighted that certain unregistered sellers have been luring devotees with significantly lower prices to sell fake silver products, which not only hurts the religious sentiments of devotees but also damages the reputation of local, registered goldsmiths.
To prevent such incidents in the future, the association has appealed to devotees to purchase only from authorised dealers and to verify the purity of all items before offering them at the shrine.
The association has also demanded the administration, police and concerned departments to conduct inspections in the market and take strict legal action.