Anticipating another lockdown, two men allegedly stole a tempo filled with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders to sell them at inflated prices. The two were arrested by Dindoshi police on Saturday before they could sell any of the cylinders. The police recovered over 40 Hindustan Petroleum cylinders worth ₹3.5 lakh from the duo.
According to police officers, the two accused – Bhagirathi Sona Ramesh Udhni, 25, and Jagdish Sarne, 38 – used to work at a gas agency. However, during the lockdown last year, the duo lost their jobs. The two had, however, maintained their consumer list.
Senior inspector Dhamendra Kimble of Dindoshi police station said that on Saturday the two stole a tempo from Gargi gas agency in Goregaon (East).
Kamble said that when the gas agency owner complained to them, they traced the accused through the tempo they had stolen.
The two confessed to the crime and said that they were anticipating a total lockdown from next week and wanted to sell the stolen cylinders at ₹3,000- ₹4,000 each.
The officers investigating the case said that when the accused worked for at the gas agency, they used to take out at least 1-2kg from each cylinder and fill another empty cylinder with it. They used to then sell that cylinder at inflated prices illegally to shops and establishments without proper licences, and put lives at risk.
{{/usCountry}}The officers investigating the case said that when the accused worked for at the gas agency, they used to take out at least 1-2kg from each cylinder and fill another empty cylinder with it. They used to then sell that cylinder at inflated prices illegally to shops and establishments without proper licences, and put lives at risk.
{{/usCountry}}“We have arrested the two for robbery, dealing in combustible material and committing offence with common intent and cheating,” said Kamble. A local court remanded them to police custody till Tuesday.