Bengaluru: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has seized gold ornaments valued at ₹2.77 crore from two jewellery establishments in Bengaluru. The raids, conducted on Wednesday, targeted businesses in Jayanagar 4th Block and Chickpet for alleged breaches of hallmarking regulations.
The core of the issue appears to be the absence of the mandatory Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) marking on the seized gold ornaments. This marking, intended to provide a unique identity for each piece of jewellery, is a requirement under the BIS Act, 2016.
BIS officials stated that legal proceedings are now underway against the concerned establishments. The agency asserts that these enforcement actions are part of its routine operations, prompted by credible information regarding the misuse of BIS Standard Marks and hallmarking violations. Such measures, according to BIS, aim to protect consumers from deceptive trade practices and the circulation of substandard or counterfeit goods.
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Consumers have been advised to verify the authenticity of hallmarked gold jewellery using the 'BIS Care App'.
The enforcement team involved in the Bengaluru operations included Vijay Kumar (Scientist-D and Joint Director), Manish Raj (Scientist-C and Deputy Director), and Piyush Kumar Gupta (Scientist-B and Assistant Director), along with other BIS officials.
This crackdown is not an isolated incident. In a separate case in April 2024, BIS Madurai seized 3.88 kg of gold jewellery worth ₹2.5 crore from a jewellery shop in Theni for similar violations, including the absence of HUID marks. Earlier, in January 2023, BIS conducted operations across Maharashtra, seizing spuriously hallmarked gold valued at over ₹1.5 crore. These actions highlight a persistent concern regarding compliance with hallmarking regulations within the jewellery sector.
