Rajkot: The State Monitoring Cell (SMC) of Gujarat Police has busted an alleged illegal LPG refilling racket operating from houses and godowns in the Nehrunagar residential area of Rajkot, seizing 517 cylinders and arresting seven people on October 30, Nation Press reported, citing the police action. Fifteen more people have been named as wanted accused in the case.

Acting on directions from Director General of Police G. S. Malik, two SMC teams led by Police Sub-Inspectors S. V. Galchar and V. N. Jadeja conducted simultaneous raids at eight premises on Streets 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 of Nehrunagar, which falls under the Bhaktinagar police station, the report said. Police cited the risk of an accident and loss of life as a key reason for the operation, as the refilling was allegedly being carried out inside a densely populated residential area.

What police seized

The 517 LPG cylinders seized were valued at Rs 9,29,100. Investigators also recovered 16 refilling pipes with nozzles, 44 sticker sheets bearing the name 'Reliance Gas', 48 cylinder caps, five electric motors, 12 electronic weighing scales, two ordinary weighing scales, three vehicles, seven mobile phones and Rs 9,170 in cash, taking the total value of the seized property to Rs 11,45,946, according to the police account reported by Nation Press. Police alleged that cylinders were being refilled and relabelled with fake branded stickers before being passed off as legitimate supply.

The seven arrested were identified as Hardev Chavda, Meram Chavda and Ramesh Chavda of Rajkot, Rakesh Bishnoi of Jodhpur in Rajasthan, Purannath Kori, Amit Dangar and Ashish Gogara. Several of the 15 wanted accused are linked to named gas agencies, including Jaymin Gas Agency, Madhuram Gas Agency, Jai Bhim Gas Agency and AGS Piyour Gas Agency, the report said. TV9 Gujarati also reported the SMC raid in the Bhaktinagar area and said the involvement of delivery employees of gas agencies had come to light, with domestic cylinders allegedly being diverted to commercial units.

Two FIRs were registered at Bhaktinagar police station on October 30 against all 22 accused, invoking Sections 125, 287 and 54 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Sections 3 and 7 of the Essential Commodities Act and Section 9(B)(1)(B) of the Explosives Act, 1884, the report said. The allegations are yet to be tested in court.

Source: Nation Press