Police bust LPG hoarding racket, 459 cylinders seized

The Delhi Police Crime Branch has seized 459 LPG cylinders and busted an illegal hoarding and suspected black marketing operation in the Ranhola area of outer Delhi on Thursday.

The raid was carried out at HP Balaji Gas Agency on Nilothi Road following specific intelligence inputs about unauthorised storage of cylinders. The agency owner, identified as Susheel Kumar Singhal, was found allegedly involved in hoarding commercial LPG cylinders, police said. “This action reflects our sustained and proactive efforts to curb illegal activities such as hoarding and black marketing of essential commodities, particularly LPG cylinders, during a period of global supply disruption,” said Harsh Indora, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch). “We remain committed to strict enforcement of the law to safeguard public interest and ensure fair distribution.”

According to officials, a total of 459 empty cylinders were recovered during the operation, including 175 belonging to Bharat Petroleum and 284 to Indane Gas. The cylinders were allegedly stored without authorisation. Police said the raid followed sustained groundwork and verification of inputs about hoarding in the area.

Officials said the accused, who owns and operates the gas agency, misused his position to manipulate supply. Instead of distributing cylinders through legal channels, he allegedly stockpiled them to create artificial scarcity. Investigators believe the accused planned to release the cylinders into the open market at inflated prices.

“The stored cylinders were meant to be sold illegally for wrongful gain by taking advantage of the demand-supply gap,” a senior officer said. The police added that the cylinders were kept under the guise of regular inventory to avoid detection.

The operation was described as systematic and planned. During the raid, the food supply officer, Jag Pravesh, was called to the spot. She carried out the necessary legal procedures as per the rules. The seized cylinders were later handed over on a superdari to Sanjay Kumar Mehta, Sales Area Manager of Hindustan Petroleum Gas.

A case has been registered under Section 7 of the Essential Commodities Act and Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Crime Branch police station. Further investigation is underway.

Police said the action comes amid concerns about a possible shortage of LPG, even as the government has maintained that there is no supply crisis. Authorities suspect that such hoarding activities may contribute to panic and artificial scarcity in the market.

Officials stressed that strict monitoring is being carried out to identify hoarders and prevent black marketing of essential goods. They said such actions directly affect consumers by disrupting fair access to basic commodities.

The accused, a resident of Nihal Vihar and currently living in Ambika Vihar, manages the gas agency where the cylinders were found. Police are examining records and supply chains linked to the agency to identify any wider network or involvement of others.

The Crime Branch said the crackdown is part of ongoing efforts to ensure that essential commodities reach the public without disruption or price manipulation.

Authorities warned that strict legal action will be taken against those found exploiting supply systems for profit.