13 August,2010 07:24 AM IST | | Manjunath L Hanji
Residents of Vannarpet near Neelasandra helped officials from Viveknagara police station seize 135 LPG cylinders around 12.30 am that were kept illegally in their area. Police officials nabbed one of the accused at 1.30 am while the other two managed to flee the spot.
The accused were running a racket of selling domestic cylinders for commercial purposes to autorickshaw drivers and hotel owners at cheaper rates. The accused not only cheated public but also licensed petrol pumps. It is an offence to keep highly flammable LPG cylinders in a residential area.
The racket has been going on since January 2010 when the accused started storing cylinders in a house at Vannarpet. Every morning, the accused created a nuisance while moving the cylinders and the noise troubled the residents of the area.
Infuriated, the residents asked the accused a number of times to leave the place, which also led to many quarrels. Finally, the residents informed the police who recovered the cylinders toady early morning. A complaint is yet to be filed.
Modus Operandi
The accused met a few boys supplying cylinders to various houses and offered them a commission if they co-operated.
There are a number of people who apply for a cylinder but do not take it because of several reasons. The accused used the opportunity and marked out such people. They took those cylinders in their name and collected them without informing the cylinder agencies.
The cylinders were neither returned to owners nor applicants but used by them for their business. In eight months, the accused illegally collected more than 200 gas cylinders.
The accused took the cylinders at Rs 20 per kg from the boys and sold at Rs 28 per kg to the auto drivers and others. Usually, commercial auto gas is available at Rs 35 per kg in the market that led to a saving of Rs 7 per kg for the users as well.
The accused were earning more than Rs 8,000 per day for the last eight months.
However, at the time of raid, police managed to get only 135 cylinders as the remaining are in use by other applicants.
Kanakaraj, resident of Vannarpet, said, "We are fed up with their business. We are scared to live here. Even if one cylinder bursts, the entire area might reduce to ashes."
Sub-Inspector Nayaz Ahmed, Vivek Nagar police station, said, "We have seized the cylinders and are investigating the matter. We have already caught a man. After going through all the procedures, we will take the necessary steps."
