BIS crackdown on unhallmarked gold jewellery in Jamshedpur

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, June 11: In a major enforcement action aimed at protecting consumers and ensuring compliance with national quality standards, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Jamshedpur Branch Office, conducted a raid at M/s New Shilpa Jewellers located in Shiv Mandir Lane, Sakchi.
The operation was launched following specific information that the jeweller was allegedly selling gold jewellery without mandatory BIS hallmark certification and without obtaining the required registration from the standards body. Acting on the inputs, BIS constituted a special enforcement team that carried out a search-and-seizure operation at the establishment.
During the inspection, officials reportedly found the firm engaged in the sale of unhallmarked gold jewellery, a violation of the Quality Control Order (QCO) on Mandatory Hallmarking of Gold Jewellery. The team seized 208.88 grams of gold jewellery that did not bear the mandatory hallmark. The seized items have been taken into official custody for further proceedings.
Speaking on the action, Prabhu Nath Yadav, Scientist-E at BIS, said the firm had allegedly violated provisions of the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016, which prohibits the use or sale of jewellery carrying the standard mark or hallmark without a valid BIS licence. He noted that under the law, such offences can attract imprisonment of up to one year, a minimum fine of Rs 1 lakh, or a penalty that may extend to five times the value of the seized goods, or both.
BIS officials reiterated their commitment to safeguarding consumer interests and ensuring that only properly hallmarked gold jewellery reaches the market. The agency said it would continue stringent enforcement drives against violations involving hallmarking and misuse of quality certification marks to maintain public trust and uphold national standards.