Vadodara: Anand police busted a racket of illegally refilling domestic liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) into commercial cylinders at a godown that was operating near Tulsi underpass in Anand town. A team from the local crime branch (LCB) seized 478 LPG cylinders, including filled and empty ones of different sizes, along with gas refilling motors and an electronic weighing machine from the godown. The LCB sleuths received a tip-off that an illegal racket was operational near the godown of B K Agency, managed by one Kirit Siddhi, a resident of Jawahar Colony area.
The authorised dealer's godown is located near Tulsi underpass, behind Bhutnath Mahadev temple, and close to the construction site of the bullet train project. After receiving the tip-off, the LCB sleuths coordinated the raid with the deputy mamlatdar office. The raid revealed that the subsidised domestic LPG was being refilled into commercial LPG cylinders without permission and any fire safety equipment.
The cops seized a total of Rs 12.26 lakh, including 478 cylinders (both domestic and commercial) valued at Rs 12.13 lakh, two refilling motors worth Rs 8,000, and two weighing instruments costing Rs 8,000.
"The accused were refilling LPG from domestic cylinders illegally into commercial cylinders, which were then sold in the black market," said H R Brahmbhatt, police inspector of Anand LCB. "It is extremely dangerous to refill gas like this. Even a minor mistake can lead to a huge fire and put many lives at risk," he s.