E-Paper
Petrol worth lakhs stolen from Indian oil pipeline
A case of massive oil pilferage has come to light in Gurgaon where criminals siphoned off petroleum products worth lakhs of rupees from an Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) pipeline that passes through the city.
A case of massive oil pilferage has come to light in Gurgaon where criminals siphoned off petroleum products worth lakhs of rupees from an Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) pipeline that passes through the city.
According to the police, the theft took place near Shahzad village on the outskirts of Gurgaon. Indian Oil Corporation officials got wind of the theft, thanks to an inbuilt automatic alert in the pipeline.
The pipeline goes from Mathura to Bijwasan via Gurgaon. "The theft took place on Wednesday and Thursday. The criminals targeted an isolated stretch on the outskirts of Gurgaon," said Pala Ram, DCP (south), Gurgaon.
"In case of any leakage in the pipeline, the inbuilt system sends out signals. Although we can’t immediately quantify the loss, it could be more than a tanker-full," he added.
A case of theft has been registered at Bhondsi police station.
The police suspect the involvement of a gang which had carried out a similar theft in Palwal. The gang is well-organised and has links in many parts of the country.
"The gang used to cut a pipeline and place a valve to extract fuel. This is also a security lapse as the corporation has deployed a security guard at every 8 km," said a senior police officer.
The police have recorded statements of security guards posted along the pipeline.
