A team of officials of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Guwahati Branch Office, on Thursday search conducted a and seizure operation on the premises of M/s Ganesh Hallmarking Centre at Col. J Ali Road at Lakhtokia in Guwahati. The operation was carried out following a discreet investigation initiated on June 3 this year into suspected violations of the BIS Act, 2016.
During the investigation, it was found that the establishment was functioning as an unauthorized Assaying and Hallmarking Centre (AHC) and was engaged in illegal hallmarking activities. The firm was found to be using a laser marking machine for marking jewellery without authorization and issuing spurious gold hallmarks bearing fake BIS logos. The laser marking machine was sealed and the spurious gold hallmarks were also seized during the raid.
Gold jewellery products are covered under the mandatory hallmarking order notified by the Government of India. Action is being initiated against the offenders for violation of Section 14(6) of the BIS Act, 2016. The offence is punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend up to one year, or with a fine which shall not be less than one lakh rupees but may extend up to five times the value of the goods or articles produced, sold, offered for sale, or affixed or applied with a Standard Mark including Hallmark, or with both, as provided under the BIS Act, 2016.
The BIS Act, 2016, prohibits any testing and marking centre or assaying and hallmarking centre that is not recognized by BIS from using, affixing, embossing, engraving, printing, or applying the Standard Mark, including the Hallmark or any colourable imitation thereof, on notified goods or articles. The law also bars such entities from making any claim regarding the use of BIS hallmarks through advertisements, promotional materials, or sales literature.
The Bureau of Indian Standards has been conducting raids whenever information regarding misuse is received and verified, with the objective of protecting consumers from such deception and the possible safety hazards that may result from the use of such materials.
BIS also appeals to all citizens to report any instance where mandatory products are being sold without BIS certification or where misuse of the ISI Mark on any product is noticed. The information may be provided to the head of Guwahati Branch Office, 2nd Floor, West End Building Block Housefed Complex, Dispur, Guwahati, or can be emailed to ghbo@bis.gov.in.
BIS raids fake Hallmarking centre in Guwahati
