Shop owner gets two years in jail for illegally storing LPG cylinders

GREATER NOIDA: The district court has awarded two years imprisonment to a shop owner under Essential Commodities act.

The case pertains to 2008, when almost 389 LPG cylinders were recovered from the man’s shop in Imaliya village market in Greater Noida and he could not produce the storage licence.

In 2008, an FIR under 3/7 Essential Commodities Act at Kasna Police Station against accused Nemvir, Umesh and Bijendra Singh.

As per the prosecution, the station house officer of Kasna Police Station, Amardeep, had stated police were on duty when they reached Parsvnath crossing got information that the suspects were taking LPG cyclinders at Bijendra’s shop illegally from an LPG bottling agency truck.

When the police team reached Imaliya market, a truck was parked and two persons were offloading LPG cylinders and putting it at Bijendra Singh’s shop, but after they saw the police team, they ran away.

The police recovered 280 filled LPG cylinders of 14.2 kg capacity and 30 empty cylinders for residential use from Singh’s shop.

Shop owner had no licence to store LPG cylinders.

Accused Bijendra Singh’s advocate claimed though shop was of the accused and false recovery was shown by police.

“As LPG cyclinders were recovered from Bijendra Singh’s shop and he was not having any licence, additional chief judicial magistrate Viresh Chandra has held Bijendra guilty and awarded two year’s imprisonment and fine of Rs.50,000. Non payment of fine will attract additional four month’s imprisonment. Other two accused were acquitted as police had not seen their faces,” Amit Uppal, prosecution officer said on Thursday.