Acting on complaints of rampant black-marketing of gas cylinders going on in the city with connivance of the gas agencies, a joint team from police and District Food and Civil Supply department launched a checking drive on Friday and stopped two vehicles loaded with gas cylinders at Alkapuri.
A person identified as Sunil Chauhan, resident of Dandipur Mohalla, was caught refilling a cylinder from one meant for a customer. He was arrested, said police.
The team led by district food and civil supply officer Vipin Kumar recovered 29 gas cylinders and refilling tools from the two vehicles stopped thus for checking. Subsequently, a case under sections 3/7 of Essential Commodities Act has been registered against the accused in the Cantt police station.
Kumar said that accused was caught filing cylinders to be sold in the black from the sealed cylinders sent by the companies to their customers. “We found that Chauhan was stealing one to two kg of gas from the sealed cylinders to fill those to be sold in the black.
We acted after we received a number of complaints from the people who said that the cylinders they are provided with are getting exhausted in a few days after they receive them,” he said.
Police said that the accused has revealed during questioning that the gas cylinders seized were of Doon Valley Agency located near Yamuna Colony.
“Action would be taken against the gas agency too,” said Kumar, adding that they would write to the Indian Oil Company officers, asking for action against the errant suppliers.
Kumar further said that his department has taken several measures to check the black- marketing of gas cylinders. “Gas agency owners and IOC officers are being called for the meetings convened from time to time during which such issues are taken up. Checking drives would continue in the coming days too,” he added.