Electrician who installed electronic chips nabbed

The UP Special Task Force on Friday arrested a city electrician Rajendra, who allegedly installed specially designed electronic chip in hundreds of dispensing units. The STF officials said his movements were tracked for several months and finally he was arrested after getting concrete evidences against him.

SSP of STF Amit Pathak said Rajendra, who has been in the business of installing electronic chips in fuel dispensing units for seven years, was on the STF radar for the past one year, after an insider of the petroleum industry tipped the cops off about this corrupt practice.

Pathak said Rajendra used to purchase these electronic chips from two locations in Kanpur and Delhi after getting requests from petrol pump owners.

Rajendra revealed during interrogation that the fuel dispensing units were of multiple types and being manufactured by several companies. He said different dispensing units required different type of electronic chips that ranged between ₹ 30,000 to ₹ 40,000.

The SSP said the purchasers sold the chips with a diagram that explained how to install them and the electrician connected them in the dispensing machine at an installing charge of ₹ 5,000 and ₹ 10,000.

“We formed seven teams on the basis of information extracted from Rajendra and raided seven petrol pumps in the city after roping in the officials of weights and measures department, supply department and representatives of petroleum companies,” said Pathak.

The SSP said Rajendra was taken to two fuel refilling stations where he demonstrated the functioning of chips through remote censor devices in shape of car keys and TV remotes.

He said the officials mainly found two types of electronic chips installed at the fuel dispensing units.