4 petrol pump owners among 23 arrested
PETROL THEFTS Seven FIRs registered, more arrests likely
At least 23 people, including four petrol pump owners and an electrician, were arrested on Friday after registration of seven FIRs on Friday in connection with petrol pumps using cheating chips to dupe consumers. More arrests were likely in the matter.
UP STF officials, in coordination with district administration and other officials concerned, had raided seven petrol pumps in the city after a tip-off about corrupt practices. At least 15 electronic chips and 29 remote devices were seized from these filling stations. The officials sealed all seven petrol pumps and the administration recommended cancellation of their licences.
Amit Pathak, SSP, Special Task Force (STF), said the seven petrol pumps found using electronic chips to cheat customers included those owned by BN Shukla (president of the UP Petrol Pump Dealers’ Association) and his son Gopal Shukla. Shukla’s filling station – Standard Fuel Station is located in Madiaon.
He said those arrested included two brothers Aman and Anoop Mittal, owners of Sheo Narain Petrol Pump in Cantt area, Sharad Chand Vaishya, owner of two Lalta Prasad filling stations at KGMU crossing and Daliganj and Anand Kumar Rai, owner of Maan filling station near Galla Mandi.
Sharad Chand Vaishya confessed during interrogation that he got the electronic chip installed around six years ago. He stated that these chips were installed at most of the petrol pumps in Lucknow and other districts of the state, added the SSP. He said 19 others arrested included Rajendra, the main installer of electronic chips, employees and managers of seven petrol pumps found involved in the corrupt practice. Others were identified as Rajan Awasthi, Virendra Singh Bhaudaria, Rakesh Kumar, Ashok Kumar Pal, Durgesh Kumar, Prem Kumar Ojha, Govind Pandey, Kamlesh and DK Ojha, Bablu Mishra, Arjun Lal, Akhilesh Kumar Dixit, Vinod Sinha, Devendra Singh Rawat, Mata Deen, Haseeb Ahmad, Chandan Kumar and Mohit Singh Yadav.
Alka Verma, additional district magistrate (civil supplies), said district supply department officials lodged FIR against culprits in the matter. She said checking at other places in Lucknow would also be done soon.
SPECIAL FORCE TO KEEP CHECK ON PUMPS
The administration has constituted a special force to keep a check on petrol pumps.
The task force that largely comprises administrative officers from the district supply office and weights & measures department will carry out raids at other petrol pumps in the district.
“Checking will not be restricted to petrol pumps in urban areas. The drive will also cover the ones on highways in rural parts of the district,” said Dr Alka Verma, ADM, civil supplies