MP POLICE BUST ADULTERATED PETROL, DIESEL RACKET; 2 HELD

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh police on Friday claimed to have busted a gang allegedly involved in supplying adulterated petrol and diesel to fuel stations in Indore and adjoining districts, and arrested two persons in connection with the case.

According to Indore police, on Thursday they sealed Shivam Industry at Pithampur Industrial Area, where oil for the purpose of adulterating petrol and diesel was being manufactured. Ingredients for this oil would come from Maharashtra and Gujarat, police said.

Superintendent of police, Indore, MC Jain said two accused — Chandra Prakash Pandey, manager at the factory and Suresh Kushwaha, a driver who used to transport the fuel to fuel stations — were arrested. “They had been supplying this concocted fuel at petrol pumps for the past four years...,” Jain said. Vijay Kumar Mundda, the owner of the fuel station, is absconding, police said.

“The matter came to light after a vehicle owner filed an anonymous complain at Kishanganj police station that Munda Petrol Pump in the area was supplying sub-standard fuel. A joint team of police and food & civil supplies officials raided the petrol pump and took fuel samples, which were found to be adulterated,” another police officer said.

The officer added that Suresh Kushwaha was supplying fuel mixed with some chemical and his arrest led to Chandra Prakash Pandey, who took the lid off the whole operations.

Police said around 9,000 litre of petrol and 9,000 litre of diesel have been seized. Indore deputy inspector general of police Manish Kapuria said, “The adulteration caused loss of revenue to the state government as they used to mix 10,000 litre of petrol with 10,000 litre of chemical... They used to save ₹48 per litre on diesel and ₹43 per litre on petrol.”

Madhya Pradesh Petrol Pump Association president Ajay Singh said, “This is over ₹10,000 crore scam and petrol pump owners are supplying adulterated fuel without any bill at ₹10 or ₹5 less than the notified price. A probe should be done...”