As the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Jammu, recently directed the inquiry officer of the Crime Branch to appear in person in connection with the alleged detection of ‘impure silver’ among offerings made at the Vaishno Devi shrine, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting to review the management of offerings and donations at the shrine.
The Lieutenant Governor, who is also the Chairman of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB), presided over the meeting, which was attended by board members both in person and through virtual mode.
The development comes amid allegations that nearly Rs 500 crore worth of ‘impure silver’ offerings were detected at the shrine. A Jammu-based lawyer had moved the court seeking registration of an FIR and a comprehensive probe into the matter. The court has directed the Crime Branch inquiry officer to appear with all inquiry-related documents on July 29.
The meeting was attended by Shrine Board members, including Swami Vishveshvaranand Giriji Maharaj, Baleshwar Rai, Dr Ashok Bhan, Sudha Murty, Gunjan Rana, Dr KK Talwar, Kulbhushan Ahuja, Lalit Bhasin and Suresh Kumar Sharma, along with Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor Dr Mandeep K Bhandari, SMVDSB Chief Executive Officer Sachin Kumar Vaishya and other senior officials at the Spiritual Growth Centre, Katra, as well as through virtual mode.
To ensure complete transparency, accountability and adherence to established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in the management of offerings and donations received at the shrine, the Board carried out a comprehensive review of the collection, counting, accounting, safeguarding and utilisation of devotees’ offerings.
“During the meeting, a presentation highlighted the robust systems and institutional mechanisms put in place by the Shrine Board for the secure and transparent handling of offerings received through donation boxes, donation counters, online platforms and in the form of precious metals,” an official said.
Board members were apprised of the verification processes, surveillance mechanisms, banking safeguards and periodic audits governing every stage of the process. It was also highlighted that all financial transactions related to offerings and donations are carried out strictly in accordance with prescribed banking norms, statutory provisions and guidelines issued by the Government of India from time to time.
The official said the Board also took note of the stringent security protocols adopted for handling and storing offerings received in the form of precious metals, as well as their secure transportation, processing and refining through reputed government-approved institutions, including the Reserve Bank of India and the India Government Mint, Hyderabad.
“After a detailed review, the Board expressed satisfaction over the transparency, accountability and efficiency of the existing arrangements. It also appreciated the comprehensive safeguards and monitoring mechanisms adopted to ensure that the sacred offerings made by devotees are managed with the highest standards of integrity, financial discipline and public trust,” the official added.
According to reports, nearly 20 tonnes of accumulated silver offerings, estimated to be worth around Rs 550 crore, had been sent for testing, melting and processing. The reports suggested that only 5-6 per cent of the material was found to be genuine silver, while the remainder allegedly consisted of cadmium, iron and other base metals.