Asking the State Vigilance to take the ongoing raid and probe on petrol pumps and gas agencies to a logical conclusion, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday emphatically stated that nobody is above law whether it is his bother or any other relative.
He was commenting on the Vigilance case registered against his elder brother Soumendra Pradhan, who owns a gas agency at Talcher, for alleged irregularities and black marketing.
“The State Government has a right under the Essential Commodities Act to carry out searches and take action. They felt that there were some irregularities regarding transaction of these commodities and have taken necessary action. No one is above law, be it my brother or any known person; the authorities have a right to take legal action against the accused,” said the Minister.
The Vigilance police have conducted raids at several petrol pumps and cooking gas agencies across the State, including the gas agency belonging to Pradhan’s brother following allegation of adulteration and black-marketing. During the raid at Soumendra Pradhan’s agency, a shortage of 40 gas cylinders was found which were sold to another agency allegedly illegally.