Officials from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) conducted a raid on a jewelry shop in Bardoli, Surat district, for selling non-hallmarked gold ornaments. The action took place on June 29, 2026, during which approximately 241.5 grams of such gold ornaments, using illegal BIS hallmarks, were seized.
The BIS team inspected the jewelry shop located at Kalubhai Govindbhai Maiti, C-3, Parkinza Shopping Center, Station Road, Bardoli, Surat. During the investigation, gold ornaments were found that were sold without permission and had illegal hallmarks. According to BIS officials, the sale and storage of gold ornaments without or with illegal BIS hallmarks is against regulations.
Hallmarking of gold ornaments has been made mandatory under the Gold Jewelry and Gold Artifacts Hallmarking Order issued by the Government of India on September 6, 2023. This rule is applicable in 27 districts of Gujarat, including Surat. Under this rule, no manufacturer or trader can sell or store gold ornaments without hallmarks.
BIS stated that violations of the rules are subject to action under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016. If found guilty, penalties can include imprisonment for up to one year or a minimum fine of 100,000 rupees, or both. According to BIS officials, some jewelers sell non-hallmarked ornaments to confuse customers.
To protect the public from such fraud, the department conducts inspections and raids from time to time. BIS has appealed to the general public that if anyone has information about the misuse of the BIS mark or violations of mandatory certification product rules, they can report it to the BIS Surat branch office. The identity of the complainant will be kept confidential.
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