4 Months On, No FIR Yet In Vaishno Devi's Rs 550 Crore-Silver 'Scandal'

Four months after a complaint alleging the adulteration and pilferage of nearly 20 tonnes of silver offerings at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, police have yet to register an FIR. Police have now told a court that they still have not recorded statements from senior Shrine Board officials, which they say are crucial to a thorough investigation.

The matter stems from a complaint filed by Advocate Deepak Sharma, seeking an FIR into alleged adulteration and pilferage of silver offerings made by devotees at the shrine, valued at around Rs 550 crore.

A status report on the enquiry was filed before the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Jammu on 19 September by DySP Bhawan. The court has granted more time for the investigation and listed the matter for October 10.

What The Police Have Told The Court

According to the status report, police have questioned Shrine Board staff, Pujaris, and CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel posted at Bhawan, and have established the procedure followed for collecting and storing what is officially termed "white metal" in the Strong Room.

However, the report states plainly that senior officials at Bhawan, whose questioning is considered necessary to the probe, have not yet been examined.

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Police also said they had sought the preservation of the complete CCTV trail, covering the collection, storage and transportation of the silver to Katra, along with all standard operating procedures, rules and Mint records. These records, running to 116 pages, were handed over on 18 August.

Officers described the electronic evidence as extensive, saying it needs to be examined systematically to identify individuals and movements, and to cross-check it against witness statements.

Complainant Calls For Accountability

Reacting to the disclosure, Advocate Deepak Sharma said the police's own admission before the court confirmed a gap in the investigation. "The police have formally admitted before court that senior officials are yet to be examined. The officials responsible for supervision, custody, transportation, accounting and decision-making must be questioned to fix responsibility from top to bottom," he said.

Sharma added that safeguarding the original material, samples, resultant silver bars, CCTV footage, and Mint and audit records was essential to prevent any alteration or deletion of evidence. He said he would continue to press for the registration of an FIR and a fair, scientific investigation into the matter.