Gujarat's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Rajasthan Police have busted an inter-state gang involved in stealing crude oil by tapping into a Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) refinery pipeline in Barmer district's Pachpadra tehsil. Eight members of the gang have been arrested.
The Gujarat ATS said on Tuesday that it had received information that individuals from Gujarat and Rajasthan were working together to puncture HPCL's crude oil pipeline, which passes through barren land in Barmer district, and sell the stolen oil on the Ahmedabad-Rajkot highway. Acting on the tip-off, the ATS team detained Jairaj Singh near the route to Sokhda village close to Kuvadva on the Ahmedabad-Rajkot highway. Questioned about the crude oil found in his possession, he revealed that it had been brought from Kaluri village in Barmer district. Following this, the ATS team, with help from Rajasthan Police, detained seven more accused involved in the conspiracy from a roadside dhaba near Tapra village in Barmer.
Pipeline punctured and valve fitted near Kaluri village
The accused were taken to Jasol police station in Rajasthan. During questioning, they admitted to digging a deep pit on barren land near Kaluri village and illegally puncturing HPCL's crude oil pipeline, then fitting a valve to siphon off the oil. HPCL officials were subsequently informed, and on inspection along with Rajasthan Police, the valve fitted into the pipeline was found. A case has been registered against the accused at Jasol police station on the complaint of refinery security supervisor Shravan Kumar Jat (24). According to the FIR, the incident took place on 9 August and came to light on the night of 10 August.
The eight accused
Those arrested include Ghanshyam Soni (54) of Nagalpur village in Gujarat's Mehsana district; Ramesh Thakor (41) and Mahesh Thakor (32) of Chalasan; Suraji Thakor (32) of Jotana; Jaysinh Chudasma (34) of Dhoraji in Rajkot district; Mukesh Kumar Meghwal (44), originally from Jaswantpura in Rajasthan's Jalore district and currently residing in Ahmedabad; Ranjit Chorasiya (48) of Kalol in Gandhinagar district; and Dilip Yadav (35) of Aspur in Uttar Pradesh's Etawah district.
Two tankers of stolen crude oil sold
During questioning, the accused also confessed to stealing two tankers of crude oil, each weighing 10 tonnes, over the course of a week, and selling it to Govind Singh Chauhan, a resident of Beawar in Rajasthan.
Gang carried out recce for six months, stayed nearby for a month
According to ATS sources, gang members had been conducting reconnaissance of the pipeline for six months. Lead accused Ghanshyam had stayed at the Jaswantpura home of Mukesh Meghwal, a local accused in the case, in Jalore district while surveying the pipeline. After the recce, Ranjit, Ramesh, Suraji, Mahesh and Dilip Yadav stayed near a dhaba by Tapra village for around a month.