Tanker owner and driver steal fuel oil worth ₹4 lakh in Mumbai, substitute it with water

Police hunt for the two accused, one of whom escaped from their clutches after they laid a trap

The owner and driver of a tanker in Mumbai have been booked for stealing furnace oil worth Rs 4 lakh from the tanker and substituting it with water. The RCF police are now on the lookout for the two accused, one of whom escaped from their clutches after they laid a trap.

The tanker had been hired to transport furnace oil from JNPT depot to BPCL in Mahul, Chembur.

The tanker had been hired to transport furnace oil from the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) depot to Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) in Mahul, Chembur. During the journey, the accused halted the tanker midway and extracted furnace oil, poured an equal quantity of water so that the company would not know about the theft, the police said.

Acting on a tip-off, the police stopped the vehicle last Thursday night. However, the “driver abandoned the tanker and escaped from the spot”, said Shrikant Desai, senior police inspector, RCF police station.

The police are now trying to determine whether the duo has stolen oil in the past. “We sent the oil for testing, and results show that there was adulteration, after which we registered a case on Wednesday night,” said Desai.

They have registered a case under sections 420 (cheating), 407(criminal breach of trust by carrier, etc) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.