Police have yet to register an FIR into alleged ₹550 crore silver pilferage at Vaishno Devi shrine, four months after Advocate Deepak Sharma filed a complaint. The case centers on nearly 20 tonnes of silver offerings that devotees brought for sanctification.
Sharma claims the silver was adulterated and siphoned off before reaching the shrine's vault. He cited missing audit logs and gaps in the chain of custody.
A status report filed on September 19 by DySP Bhawan shows police questioned shrine board staff, CRPF and Jammu & Kashmir police. However, senior officials—whose testimony is deemed essential—remain unexamined, the report admits.
The court, after reviewing the report, granted an extension and scheduled a hearing for October 10. A devotee from Jammu, who lost a silver offering, says the investigation must be swift to restore trust.