Pune Police Crack Down on Fuel Theft Ring, Seize Stolen Fuel Worth Over Rs 48 Lakh

Loni Kalbhor, 11th September 2024: A group involved in illegally stealing petrol and diesel has been arrested by Pune Police. Items worth over Rs 48 lakh have been confiscated in this operation, and more than 1,600 litres of fuel were seized. The fuel came from Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL). Six people have been arrested, and the action was carried out by the officials of Loni Kalbhor Police Station.

The arrested individuals are Shubham Sushil Bhagat, 23, Trushant Rajendra Sumbhe, 31, and Vishal Suresh Gosavi, 30, all residents of Theur Phata; Ravi Kewat, 25, and Rohit Kumar, 21, both residents of Mali Mala; and Kiran Hari Bhau Ambekar, 31, a resident of Kadam Wasti.

The charges include BNS Sections 111 (organized crime), 112 (petty organized crime), 303(2) (theft), 61(2) (criminal conspiracy), 316(3) (criminal breach of trust), 287 (negligent conduct concerning fire or combustible matter), 288 (negligent conduct concerning explosive substances), and relevant sections of the Flammable Substances Act of 1952 and The Essential Commodities Act of 1955.

According to police reports, complaints regarding the theft of petrol and diesel were increasing under the jurisdiction of Loni Kalbhor Police Station. While Assistant Police Inspector Raju Mahanor and Police Constables Dhamdhere and Jadhav were investigating these thefts, they received information from a confidential source that petrol and diesel from IOCL and HPCL were being filled in Kadam Wasti, Loni Kalbhor. The tankers transporting these fuels followed a specific route and were scheduled to visit the petrol pumps. To prevent fuel theft, the tankers were locked with company locks before being left unattended.

The accused would take the tankers to a tin shed near Theur Phata, where they would transfer the inflammable fuel into barrels. Upon learning this, the Loni Kalbhor Police decided to act and set up a trap. When they arrived, they found fuel from three tankers being transferred into barrels using an electric motor. A total of 1,620 litres of petrol and diesel, worth Rs 48,01,800, was seized during the operation. The six accused were arrested and confessed to the crimes, revealing that they were acting on the instructions of the tanker owner, who is currently being sought as the Loni Kalbhor Police continue their investigation.

The operation was conducted under the guidance of Additional Commissioner of Police (East) Manoj Patil, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 5) R. Raja, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Nikhil Pingle, and Assistant Commissioner of Police (Hadapsar Division) Ashwini Rakh. The Detection Branch, led by Senior Police Inspector Rajendra Karankot of Loni Kalbhor Police Station, included Assistant Police Inspector Raju Mahanor, Police Sub-Inspector Amol Ghodake, and Constables Ramhari Vanawe, Mangesh Nanapure, Malhar Dhamdhere, Shivaji Jadhav, Sandeep Dhumal, Bajirao Veer, and Yogesh Patil.