Gujarat : Illegal Gas Refilling Racket Busted in Kalol

KALOL: A potentially dangerous gas-refilling operation being run near a residential and agricultural area has been busted by Santej police in Dantali village of Kalol taluka. Six people were arrested after police allegedly found cooking gas being illegally transferred into smaller cylinders without mandatory safety equipment or permissions.

The raid was conducted by a team led by PI S.R. Chaudhary after police received specific information about illegal refilling activities being carried out in a shed on the outskirts of Dantali.

Police said the accused were allegedly caught red-handed while transferring gas from 14.2-kg domestic and 19-kg commercial cylinders of Indian Oil, Bharat Gas and HP Gas into 5-kg cylinders using electric motor pumps, pipes and heating guns.

The arrested accused were identified as Sanjaykumar Nanubhai Dabhi, Kishore Babubhai Thakor, Mahendra Narayanram Bishnoi, Kailash Bishnoi, Sunil Saburam Bishnoi and Dinesh Malaram Bishnoi. Some of the accused are from Rajasthan, police said.

According to investigators, the smaller cylinders were allegedly fitted with counterfeit seals and caps before being sold in the market at higher prices.

“The operation was being conducted without adequate fire-safety arrangements, creating a serious risk to nearby residents, agricultural land and property,” police said.

The police seized 258 filled and empty cylinders belonging to different companies, valued at around ₹2.84 lakh. An Eicher tempo, a pickup vehicle, two electric motor pumps, weighing machines, a heating gun and four smartphones were also recovered.

The total value of the seized property was estimated at more than ₹12.83 lakh.

Officials said the use of heating equipment and electrical pumps while handling highly flammable LPG posed a significant risk of fire or explosion.

Police have initiated further legal proceedings and are investigating the source of the cylinders, the alleged distribution network and other persons who may have been involved in the illegal operation.