Srinagar, July 22, KDC: In a large crack on Kashmir’s world famous handicrafts and inappropriate trade practices threatening the very credibility of the handicraft industry, handicrafts and handloom directors, Kashmir, Kashmir, a craftsman-mandali-kashmir, tans, tans have worked as a craftsmanship. A tourist by ₹ 2.55 lakhs, by fraud passing it as a hand-extinguished Kashmiri GI-prohibited product.
According to the order number 10-HD (QC) of 2025 dated 22.07.2025, the seller released by director handicrafts and handloom, the seller used a fake QR label resembling the official label issued by the Indian Carpet Technology (IICT), which was an actual guideline to mislead the creator to mislead the Creater. Kashmir said, “A formal criminal complaint has been ordered, and further legal proceedings have been recommended under the GI Act and the Joint Code.”
Meanwhile, a team of the department’s quality control wing has reached Konchipora, Tangmarg and completed the blacklisting process of the showroom.
The matter came to light after a tourist, Syed Furkan Alam complained to the director IICT, Srinagar that he had paid advance for a carpet from Kashmir Kala Bazar, which is ₹ 2.55 lakh with a total transaction for a carpet from Kashmir Kala Bazar in Kashmir, Tangmarg. The showroom allegedly presented a certificate and QR code claiming the IICT certification. The spokesperson said, “On verification, IICT confirmed that the QR label was forged and not issued by his institution. The matter was extended to the quality control division of the department, which conducted a physical inspection, seized the carpet, and issued a show-causing notice to the owner,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson further stated that in his response, the proprietor denied fraud, claiming that the customer rejected the purchase, once the carpet GI was not-prohibited. He said, “However, it was a contrast by photographic evidence presented by the complainant, as well as IICT’s findings confirmed that the fake label was pasted on a machine-made carpet,” he said.
The official spokesperson further stated that the department found it completely misleading and unsatisfactory, and concluded that the Act was a deliberate attempt to cheat the buyer by exploiting the GI craft of Kashmir. “The director said in his order that the seller deliberately built a fake QR label, which was similar to the IICT’s original GI label and pasted the machine-made carpet to cheat the concerned tourist,” he said.
Citing a violation of Section 6 and 7 of J&K registration of the Tourist Trade Act, 1978, the Directorate ordered the immediate blacklisting and deragistation of the seller.
“In addition, it is ordered that a formal complaint will be filed against the proprietor of Kashmir Kala Bazaar, which is to initiate strict action to close a fake QR label in the name of Senior Superintendent of Police, Tourism, Kashmir, with the office of Kashmir, and it is to request that the goods.
The order further saw that once the seller realized that fraud was detected, he tried to remove the fake QR label from the carpet to cover the misconduct. However, the evidence provided by the complainant and expert verification from IICT confirmed the wrongdoing.
The spokesperson reiterated that such fraud acts of wrongdoing of real handmade products not only violated the consumer trust, but also weakened the GI-prohibited identity of the Kashmiri craft directly, threatening the livelihood of millions of artisans and weavers. He said, “We take this opportunity to warn all professional stakeholders in the craft field, so that it is desired by selling machine-made items under the guise of handmade products, failing that the department will take immediate action by black-listing and de-recitation of such showrooms.”
He further urged all buyers and tourists to contact the handicrafts and handloom departments, Kashmir if they have been sold a machine-made product in Garb of handmade items. (KDC)