Assay tests at a government mint revealed 20 tonnes of accumulated silver offerings worth ₹550 Cr contained 95% toxic cadmium and iron (only 5% silver, worth ₹30 Cr). A Jammu court ordered the Crime Branch IO to present all records on July 29, 2026.
Victims / Impact
90 Lakh+ Devotees
Budget Impact
₹520 Cr valuation loss (₹550 Cr to ₹30 Cr)
Updates Filed
21 updates
Verified Case Findings
- •Massive Valuation Drop: 20 tonnes of stored silver offerings estimated at ₹550 Crore yielded only 5-6% pure silver at government mint testing, reducing value to ~₹30 Crore.
- •Toxic Cadmium Contamination: Metal tests revealed 95% of the material was base iron and toxic, carcinogenic cadmium (costing ₹500/kg vs silver at ₹2.3 Lakh/kg).
- •Jammu CJM Court Summons: Chief Judicial Magistrate Munish Kumar Manhas directed Crime Branch IO to appear on July 29, 2026 with all CCTV logs, seals, and assay reports.
- •Criminal Conspiracy Complaint: Advocate Deepak Sharma filed a May 9 complaint alleging systematic substitution, pilferage, and record manipulation.
- •Governor High-Level Review: J&K LG Manoj Sinha chaired a Shrine Board review meeting to evaluate CRPF strongroom protocols and mint refinery safeguards.
Uncovered Fraud Networks & Schemes
Pre-Donation Vendor Duping vs. Post-Receipt Substitution
NDTV / The Indian Express (July 2026)Probe focuses on whether 9 million annual pilgrims were sold counterfeit cadmium-laden items by Katra vendors, or whether authentic silver was stolen and swapped inside shrine strongrooms.
Toxic Cadmium Metal Substitution
ThePrint (July 15, 2026)Cadmium (a restricted toxic carcinogen) was used to mimic silver's appearance. The price disparity (₹500/kg cadmium vs ₹2,300/kg silver) points to massive illicit profit margins.
Strongroom & Transit Chain of Custody Gaps
The Indian Express (July 16, 2026)Despite 24/7 CCTV surveillance, CRPF guards, and SDM double-lock seals, 20 tonnes accumulated over years was compromised before reaching the Hyderabad Government Mint.
Case Status
Verified Sources
4 CitedCJM Court Jammu summoned Crime Branch IO to appear on July 29 with all records after mint tests revealed 20 tonnes of shrine silver contained 95% toxic cadmium and iron, dropping value from ₹550 Cr to ₹30 Cr.
Detailed breakdown of 9 million annual pilgrims' offerings, double-locked CRPF-guarded strongrooms, SDM seals, and the investigation into whether fake silver was sold by vendors or swapped post-receipt.
Jammu & Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha chaired a high-level review meeting with Shrine Board members to examine SOPs, RBI/Mint refining protocols, and internal accounting safeguards.
Katra Jewellers Association and VHP demand an urgent forensic probe to uncover who substituted genuine silver donations with carcinogenic cadmium metal.