GUWAHATI: Officials of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Guwahati Branch Office, carried out a search and seizure operation at Shree Sainath Jewellery located at Basistha Chariali on Bakrapara Road in Guwahati on May 22 following allegations of misuse of BIS hallmarking and unauthorized sale of gold jewellery.
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According to BIS officials, the operation was launched after complaints were received regarding the alleged use of fake BIS hallmark markings and the sale of gold jewellery items without valid BIS hallmarking registration.
During the inspection, the enforcement team reportedly found that the jewellery shop had prominently displayed the BIS Hallmark logo on banners and outside the premises despite allegedly lacking the required BIS hallmarking registration or authorization to use the mark.
Officials further stated that preliminary investigation revealed that the establishment was allegedly selling gold jewellery articles bearing spurious BIS Hallmark markings. BIS described the use of fake or unauthorized hallmarking as a serious violation under the provisions of the BIS Act, 2016.
The Government of India has made hallmarking of gold jewellery and artefacts mandatory in notified districts to ensure purity assurance and consumer protection. BIS officials said that gold jewellery products fall under the mandatory hallmarking order issued by the Centre.
Action is now being initiated against the offenders under Sections 15(1) and 15(2) of the BIS Act, 2016. Under the law, violations can attract imprisonment of up to one year, a minimum fine of Rs 1 lakh, or a penalty extending up to five times the value of the goods sold or offered for sale with unauthorized hallmarking. Both imprisonment and fine may also be imposed.
The BIS Act, 2016, prohibits any person from importing, distributing, selling, storing, or exhibiting for sale goods covered under mandatory certification without authorization from BIS. The law also bars unauthorized entities from displaying or advertising goods marked with the BIS Standard Mark, including Hallmark, without certification from the Bureau.
BIS officials reiterated that consumers should purchase only properly hallmarked gold jewellery from BIS-registered jewellers to ensure authenticity and purity.