Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Jammu, Aug 4: In a significant development, the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Jammu, has directed the immediate preservation of all material evidence in connection with alleged irregularities involving silver offerings at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine.
The order was passed in a petition filed by Advocate Deepak Sharma, seeking preservation of physical, documentary and electronic evidence pending investigation. The court observed that safeguarding evidence at this stage is essential to ensure a fair and effective probe and to prevent any loss or destruction of crucial material.
The application raises allegations that adulterated articles may have been supplied to devotees, genuine silver offerings could have been substituted or misappropriated, and records relating to classification, storage, transportation, testing and processing of the offerings may require scrutiny.
The court directed the authorities to preserve the remaining silver articles, samples, inventories, electronic records, CCTV footage, audit trails, access logs and other relevant material. It also instructed the investigating agency to issue formal preservation notices to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, concerned government agencies, testing authorities, transporters and other custodians of evidence.
The court clarified that the preservation order does not determine the truth of the allegations but is intended solely to protect evidence so that the ongoing legal proceedings and any future investigation are not prejudiced.
