Behind fuel scam, Delhi-based mastermind, aides
LUCKNOW: A Delhi-based former petroleum company employee is suspected to be the mastermind of the state-wide racket of petrol pump owners who were using remote-controlled electronic chips in their dispensing machines to dupe consumers.
He was being assisted by two Lucknow-based Industrial Training Institute (ITI) pass outs. The duo had trained an electric technician, Rajendra, in installing the cheating chips in hundreds of petrol pumps across the state.
The revelations were made by Rajendra during interrogation by the UP Special Task Force (STF) officials.
The scam was unearthed only after the arrest of Rajendra.
“Rajendra has revealed that he came in touch with the two ITI pass-outs while he was employed at a city petrol pump around seven years ago. The duo taught him how to install the chips on fuel dispensing units of petrol pumps,” said a senior STF official. Rajendra claimed he initially worked for his trainers but gradually started to work independently by purchasing these cheat chips from Delhi and Kanpur. The STF official said several other people were trained by the two ITI pass-outs, who had pursued electrician’s course from a city ITI around eight years ago.
He said the duo was trained by the Delhi-based former petroleum company employee. The mastermind learnt this trick while working for a petroleum company in Delhi and is said to be in the duping business for the last 10 years. “We are trying to track down the mastermind and his two associates as their arrests could expose the nationwide network,” said the STF official.
He said Rajendra had also revealed the identities of two persons from where he used to purchase the chips that were provided to him with a diagram to install it. He said the efforts are on to ensure their arrests.
“They seemed to have disappeared soon after coming to know about the raids on petrol pump,” said the official.
There is, however, no clue yet about the person who developed the chip. On Thursday, the STF raided seven petrol pumps in Lucknow and recovered at least 15 electronic chips and 29 remote devices from the fuel filling stations. The officials sealed all the seven petrol pumps, and cancellation of their licences has been recommended. According to STF officials, the initial probe revealed that around 80% of the petrol pumps across the state were using the cheat chip and Uttar Pradesh petrol pump owners were siphoning off an estimated Rs 200 crore per month.
LUCKNOW: Two more fuel refilling stations were sealed after electronic cheating chips to tamper with dispensing machines and electric wires were found there during UP Special Task Force (STF) raids at petrol pumps in the state capital on Sunday.
Amit Pathak, SSP (STF) said, “We raided four petrol pumps on Sunday. The ones that were sealed include the Standard Fuel Filling Station near Chatta Mill on Sitapur road in Bakshi Ka Talab (BKT) and Lucknow Filling Station near City Montessori School (CMS) - Chowk branch in Thakurganj.”
The raids were conducted on the basis of the revelations made by Rajendra, the key accused in the scam, who had allegedly installed chips in hundreds of petrol pumps across UP and beyond. The STF sleuths also took along Rajendra during these raids after taking his custody from the jail.
Pathak said the BKT fuel station belonged to BN Shukla, the president of UP Petrol Pump Dealers’ Association and Thakurganj fuel station was owned by Adnan Farooqi.
“Although no cheating chip or remote devices were found at Shukla’s petrol pump, our examination confirmed that fuel dispensing units had been tampered with. Some electric wires allegedly used for the chip connection were found there. The manager Vijay Prakash Singh has been taken into custody for quizzing,” he said. Shukla and his son Gopal are already on the run after their petrol pump in Madiaon was raided on Thursday-Friday intervening night. Multiple cheating chips and remote devices were found there after which the fuel station was sealed and an FIR was registered against the duo.
“The police team found three remote devices and the same number of cheating devices at the petrol pump sealed in Thakurganj. Some employees have been taken into custody and an FIR will be registered against the owner and others,” said the SSPSTF. He added that the National Filling Station at KKC trisection in Charbagh was also searched and no illegal device were found. But one of 3 dispensing units had a seal of the weights and measures department, dated Saturday. “The probe revealed that the dispensing unit was opened in the presence of Rajan Singh, an official of the weights and measures department, on Saturday ,” he said. The official said the dispensing unit was opened as its annual examination was due.
Since Thursday night, 11 petrol pumps in the city have been sealed. 7 of these were sealed on Thursday-Friday after the recovery of cheating chips and remote devices. STF officials arrested 23 people including four petrol pumps owners and seven managers, and at least 15 electronic chips and 29 remote devices were seized. The next day, two more fuel stations - at Ashiana and Aliganj - were sealed. According to STF officials, initial probe has revealed that around 80% of petrol pumps across the state have been using devices to fool consumers and were siphoning off an estimated Rs 200 crore per month. Rajendra is on an eight-day police custody remand from Sunday morning. Since then, he has revealed details of at least 20 more petrol pumps of the city.