Gang involved in LPG cylinder hoarding in outer Delhi busted

New Delhi: Amid concerns over LPG shortage, the Delhi Police crime branch busted a hoarding racket at a godown in outer Delhi's Mundka, seizing 610 cylinders stored in violation of regulations."The agency was authorised only to distribute commercial LPG cylinders of Indane. However, the team found that a large number of commercial LPG cylinders belonging to other companies were also stored at the premises, which is not permitted," DCP (crime) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said.The team seized 197 filled and 392 empty cylinders, along with 21 small-sized cylinders. Of these, 423 cylinders belonged to Indane, 92 to Bharat Gas and 95 to HP Gas, police said. Inquiry revealed discrepancies in stock records. "According to information received from officials of IOC, the distributor's stock of Indane commercial cylinders was expected to be nil as of March 10, but 133 filled Indane cylinders were found at the premises during the raid," DCP Yadav said.Police said such illegal hoarding often takes place during periods of scarcity, when cylinders are stored and later sold in the market at inflated prices. Apart from disrupting the regulated LPG distribution system, this poses serious safety risks due to improper storage of highly inflammable cylinders, they added.An FIR was registered at the Crime Branch police station under Section 7 of Essential Commodities Act and Section 61(2) of BNS for criminal conspiracy and illegal storage of LPG cylinders. Police said the owner of the premises was not present during the raid and is absconding.In another raid, a man allegedly involved in the illegal refilling of LPG cylinders was arrested in Rohini on March 12. The accused, Pushpendra, is a resident of Vijay Vihar and used to work as a delivery executive with a gas agency in Rohini.DCP (Rohini) Shashank Jaiswal said that two filled commercial LPG cylinders, 15 filled domestic cylinders, four weighing machines, four refilling pipes and a motorcycle used for transportation were seized. The accused was allegedly transferring gas from domestic cylinders into commercial ones to sell them in the black market. A case has been registered and investigation is underway.In another case, cops registered FIRs against two shopkeepers for allegedly illegally refilling LPG and selling it at inflated prices in Pooth Khurd and Krishna Vihar areas in northwest Delhi. Police seized two large cylinders, two small cylinders and refilling equipment allegedly used in the operation. In a similar action, police arrested a 55-year-old man, Ram Vilas Sharma, for allegedly illegally refilling LPG cylinders from a shop in Gandhi Nagar. Police seized nine LPG cylinders, two gas filling machines and a weighing machine.