LPG theft racket linked to tanker blast busted, 4 held
Hoshiarpur, Aug. 25 -- Police have busted an illegal LPG pilferage racket allegedly linked to the recent tanker fire tragedy near Mandiala that claimed seven lives. Four persons have been arrested and a large cache of LPG cylinders, empty drums and other equipment used in the illicit operation has been seized, said police.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sandeep Kumar Malik said the driver of the ill-fated tanker Sukhjit Singh - who died in the blast - was allegedly part of the illegal LPG siphoning network. Singh, a resident of Pandher Kheri village in Khanna, was reportedly en route to Ramnagar Dheha, a village adjoining Mandiala, where LPG was regularly pilfered at a secluded property owned by one Sukhchain Singh.
The SSP revealed that the police arrested Sukhchain and three others - Avtar Singh of Jandi and Ramesh Kumar and Raj Kumar of Lamma Pind in Jalandhar - and recovered 50 cylinders and nine empty drums from the spot.
"A case has been registered against the accused under Sections 303(2), 318(4), 287, 288, 3(5) of the BNS, Essential Commodities Act and Liquid Petroleum Gas Supply and Control Order, 2000, at the Bullowal police station," the SSP said.
He said the accused used to steal LPG for four to five cylinders from every tanker coming from Hindustan Petroleum (HP) plant at Mandiala, with the connivance of tanker drivers and sell them in the black market.
The SSP said that the matter would be thoroughly investigated and strict action would be taken if more people were found involved in the racket. He said the HP plant officials would also be questioned...
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