diff --git a/plugins/utilities.json b/plugins/utilities.json
index a3bd0ad..5e384c5 100644
--- a/plugins/utilities.json
+++ b/plugins/utilities.json
@@ -1487,12 +1487,7 @@
         }
       ],
       "versions": {
-        "1.6.0": {
-          "api_version": 9,
-          "commit_sha": "dbc3fa2",
-          "released_on": "25-05-2025",
-          "md5sum": "ce3b57ad8cbcc5834b589030b72830b4"
-        },
+        "1.6.0": null,
         "1.5.2": {
           "api_version": 9,
           "commit_sha": "0db98e8",
diff --git a/test/auto_apply_version_metadata.py b/test/auto_apply_version_metadata.py
index 1f8719a..3eb54e1 100644
--- a/test/auto_apply_version_metadata.py
+++ b/test/auto_apply_version_metadata.py
@@ -93,8 +93,11 @@ class CategoryVersionMetadata:
         self.category_metadata_base = category_metadata_base
         self.category_metadata_file = f"{self.category_metadata_base}.json"
         with open(self.category_metadata_file, "r") as fin:
-            self.category_metadata = json.load(fin)
-
+            try:
+                self.category_metadata = json.load(fin)
+            except json.JSONDecodeError as err:
+                print(f"Error decoding JSON: {err}")
+                raise ValueError(f"Invalid JSON in {self.category_metadata_file}")
     def get_plugins_having_null_version_values(self):
         for plugin_name, plugin_metadata in self.category_metadata["plugins"].items():
             for version_name, version_metadata in plugin_metadata["versions"].items():