Oil heist in Rajasthan, syndicate 'exposed': How eight accused stole 20 tonnes of crude from pipeline
During the investigation, an accused exposed the syndicate, leading to the arrest of seven others from Tapra village in Balotra district of Rajasthan. Here's what we know so far.
Eight people in the Balotra district of Rajasthan were arrested by Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad for allegedly stealing 20 tonnes of crude oil.
The accused were identified as Ghanshyam Soni (54) and Jayrajsinh Chudasama (34), both residents of Rajkot; Mukesh Meghwal (44) from Jalore in Rajasthan; Ranjit Chorasiya (48) from Gandhinagar; Ramesh Thakore (41), Sureji Thakore (32) and Mahesh Thakore (32) from Mehsana; and Dilip Yadav (35), from Etawah in Uttar Pradesh.
A case was registered under section 35(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in connection with the incident.
During the investigation, the accused exposed the syndicate, leading to the arrest of seven others from Tapra village in Balotra district of Rajasthan, news agency PTI reported, citing an ATS release.
How did the accused steal crude oil?
According to the report, the accused allegedly stole crude oil by puncturing an HPCL pipeline passing through the Balotra district of Rajasthan.
Following the incident, authorities received intel on some persons attempting to sell crude oil on the Ahmedabad-Rajkot highway.
This led to the arrest of a man from a spot near Sokhda village in Rajkot district.
The interrogation revealed that the accused had illegally punctured and installed a valve in the HPCL crude oil pipeline in a three to four-foot deep pit in the wasteland on the border of Kaludi village in Balotra district of Rajasthan.
The accused allegedly used their connections in the jail and precise knowledge of the local 20-km HPCL refinery network to map the exact location of the underground route, The Print reported.
They were reportedly selling the stolen oil to a resident in Beawar in Rajasthan when the probe agencies received a tip off.
A case was registered at Jasol police station in Rajasthan against the eight individuals under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for theft, criminal conspiracy and negligent conduct with respect to fire, and under the provisions of the Petroleum and Minerals Pipelines (Acquisition of Right of User in Land) Act, 1962, and the Prevention of Damage to Public Works Act.
The ATS is currently investigating whether other persons were also involved in the crime.
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