Overview
- The Bihar unit of the All India Jewellers and Gold Federation directed members not to display or sell ornaments to customers whose faces are covered by hijab, niqab or masks.
- State president Ashok Kumar Verma said the policy is a security step because robbers often conceal their identities and enter shops in groups.
- Jewellers say they will ask customers to briefly reveal their faces for identification and will not remove religious coverings themselves.
- Verma described the move as a first district-wide implementation in Bihar, while similar face-uncovering notices have been posted in Jhansi’s Sipri Bazaar.
- Traders cited soaring bullion values and recent high-value robberies in Bihar as reasons to tighten entry and identification rules.