Prime suspect in petrol pump scam arrested from Karnataka

Mumbai city news: Police found that Nulkar had gifted a 1BHK flat to his wife six months ago.

The Thane police arrested the prime accused in a nationwide petrol scam from Hubli in Karnataka on Tuesday.

Prakash Nulkar, 56, lives at Lower Parel.

Prakash Nulkar, 56, lives at Lower Parel. He was produced in court and remanded in custody till July 15. Police found that Nulkar had gifted a 1BHK flat to his wife six months ago.

Thane police commissioner Param Bir Singh said, “The pump of the machine was tampered with using a chip that was programmed to dispense less fuel. Nulkar would charge pump owners between Rs50,000 and Rs2 lakh to fit the chip in their machines. Three software engineers are also involved. We raided 96 pumps in 16 districts and found 195 chips.”

According to the police, for every five litres of petrol, customers got 200ml less. On May 22, Vivek Shetye and Avinash Naik, the other accused in the scam, were arrested. “He( Nulkar) was working as a technician in Mumbai for 13 years. He left the job after he met the other two and planned the scam,” said the official.

Deputy commissioner of police, Thane crime branch, Abhishek Trimukhe, said, “Nulkar fled from his home after he came to know about Naik’s and Shetye’s arrests. He changed his name and location frequently.”

The police have arrested 23 people and identified 13 more suspects.

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