BIS Seizes Spuriously Hallmarked Gold From Jewellers In Pune, Mumbai And Parts Of Maharashtra
Pune, 23rd January 2023: Officials from the Bureau of Indian Standards conducted a special Enforcement (Search and Seizure) drive in major cities in the state of Maharashtra on 20th January to check the misuse of the BIS Hallmark on gold jewellery. The raid was carried out simultaneously at six locations in Maharashtra, including main hubs such as Mumbai, Thane, Pune, and Nagpur.
In Zaveri Bazar, Mumbai, two establishments engaged in fake hallmarking of gold jewellery were raided as part of the operation leading to the seizure of around 2.75kg of gold jewellery worth over Rs 1.5 crore. Similar operations at Thane, Pune and Nagpur also led to the seizure of spuriously marked jewellery and the initiation of actions against such firms engaged in duping customers by applying fake hallmarks on gold jewellery and also applying hallmarks on gold jewellery without adequate testing and quality checks specified by BIS.
The search and seizure operations were carried out at the premises of Shree Shankeshwar Assaying and Tunch, Zaveri Bazar, Mumbai, Jai Vaishnav Hallmarking Centre, Zaveri Bazar, Mumbai, Vishal hallmarking Centre, Jambli Naka, Thane, Shree Shankeshwar Assaying and Hallmarking Centre, Andheri, Mumbai, Jogeshwari Assaying and Hallmarking Centre, Ravivar Peth, Pune, and Riddhi Siddhi Hallmark, Itwari, Nagpur.
Vide the Hallmarking of Gold Jewellery and Gold Artefacts Order, 2020, issued by the Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India, gold jewellery and gold artefacts shall mandatorily bear BIS Hallmark from 16th June 2021 onwards. The BIS Hallmark presently consists of three parts – the BIS logo, purity in carat and fineness, and a six-digit alphanumeric “Hallmarking Unique Identity (HUID)” number which is different for each article/artefact. The jewellery can be sold only by jewellers registered with BIS and can be hallmarked only by BIS-recognized Assaying and Hallmarking Centres (AHCs).
As per BIS Act 2016, the misuse of BIS Standard Mark, including Hallmark, is punishable with imprisonment up to two years or a fine of a minimum of Rs 2,00,000 but may extend up to ten times the value of articles affixed or applied with a Standard Mark, including Hallmark, or both as per BIS Act 2016. Action is being initiated to file a case in the court of law for the aforementioned offence. Actions, including prosecution, are also envisaged against all jewellers who have been party to such illegal spurious marking. It has been observed many times that spuriously hallmarked jewellery is sold to consumers for a huge profit. Therefore, it is important to look for a complete BIS hallmark, including the BIS logo, purity in carat and fineness, and HUID on jewellery. HUID or Hallmark Unique ID is a unique code engraved on each gold jewellery that authenticates the BIS Hallmark marked on it.
Details of the hallmarked jewellery such as the purity of the jewellery, type of jewellery, name of the jeweller who got the jewellery hallmarked and the Hallmarking Centre which tested and certified the jewellery, and others can also be seen before making the purchase by tracking the HUID of the ornament using the “BIS CARE” mobile application.
In case a consumer comes across any instance of misuse of the BIS Hallmark on any jewellery/article, the same may be informed to BIS using the BIS Care Mobile Application. The source of such information will be kept confidential, BIS has appealed.
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