Jammu, July 14 -- The chief judicial magistrate, Jammu, on Monday, directed the inquiry officer of the crime branch to appear personally with the relevant record pertaining to alleged fake silver offerings worth over Rs.550-crore at the Vaishno Devi shrine. The court headed by Munish Kumar Manhas has fixed July 29 as the next date of hearing. The direction was passed following an application filed by J&K and Ladakh high court lawyer Deepak Sharma, who had earlier submitted a detailed complaint before the inspector general of police (IGP), crime branch, Jammu, and the senior superintendent of police, crime branch, Economic Offences Wing, Jammu. Sharma had sought registration of an FIR and a comprehensive investigation into the alleged adulteration, substitution and possible misappropriation of silver offerings made by devotees at the Vaishno Devi cave shrine. The complaint, submitted on May 9, alleged the commission of serious cognisable offences, including criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust, misappropriation, manipulation of records and the possible procurement or use of cadmium-laden material. After no effective action was ever disclosed by the crime branch, the complainant approached the court seeking an action-taken report and an appropriate direction for registration of an FIR and probe of the case. Pursuant to the court's direction, the crime branch filed a status report stating that the complaint had initially been forwarded to crime headquarters, Srinagar, for approval and, after receipt of such approval, was thereafter forwarded to the Zonal Police Headquarters, Jammu, for "appropriate action". Advocate Deepak Sharma on Monday filed detailed objections to the status report and argued that mere administrative forwarding of the complaint could not amount to lawful action upon information disclosing cognizable offences. He submitted that the crime branch, Jammu, was itself a notified police station under the relevant home department notification, with its SP functioning as the station house officer. He further argued that the crime branch was statutorily required to deal with the complaint in accordance with the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and could not avoid its legal responsibility merely by forwarding the complaint to another police authority. The objections also pointed out that the status report did not disclose any steps being taken for the preservation of crucial evidence, including inventory registers, stock records, CCTV footage, dispatch and transportation documents, assay reports, mint correspondence, electronic records and records relating to the receipt, storage, transportation, testing and melting of the offerings. After hearing the arguments, the CJM Jammu directed the crime branch's inquiry officer to remain personally present before the court along with the relevant record on July 29. The controversy stemmed from reports that approximately 20 tonnes of accumulated silver offerings, stated to be worth around Rs.550 crore, had reportedly been sent for testing, melting and processing. However, only approximately 5 to 6% of the material was reportedly found to be actual silver, while the remaining material allegedly found to be 'fake' and consisted of cadmium, iron and other inferior metals. Advocate Deepak Sharma sought an investigation into whether devotees had been sold fake or adulterated silver articles by vendors and jewellers, or whether genuine silver offerings had been substituted, diluted, pilfered or misappropriated at any stage after their receipt, including during inventory, weighing, storage, transportation, assaying or melting....