Mumbai, April 2 (IANS) The Mumbai Police have registered a case against a gas delivery worker for illegally storing commercial LPG cylinders in a public area. The accused, identified as Shahid Ali Imam Hussain Sayyed, was found in possession of 23 empty commercial gas cylinders and a tempo, all of which have been seized.

Based on a complaint filed by a rationing officer from the Govandi area, the police have invoked Sections 3, 7, and 8 of the Essential Commodities Act, along with provisions under the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Order, 2000.

According to officials, a rationing inspector noticed a suspiciously parked tempo near a public toilet in the Gautam Nagar area, close to the Deonar slaughterhouse. Suspecting illegal activity, the accused was called to the spot and asked to open the vehicle. Upon inspection, police recovered 23 empty commercial LPG cylinders of different capacities, including those belonging to Bharat Gas and Hindustan Gas.

Police stated that the accused had been illegally storing the cylinders for personal financial gain. The seized cylinders and the vehicle are collectively valued at Rs 93,800. Further investigation is underway.

Such cases have been increasingly reported in recent times.

In a similar incident in Delhi on April 1, the Delhi Police Crime Branch busted an illegal LPG cylinder storage and refilling racket in the Dabri area of the national capital, recovering 17 domestic gas cylinders of multiple companies.

Acting on specific and credible intelligence, officials carried out a coordinated raid at a shop in Seetapuri, where an unauthorised operation involving the storage and refilling of LPG cylinders was being run. The raid led to the seizure of 17 cylinders, including five of Bharat Petroleum, five of Hindustan Petroleum, and seven of Indane Gas.

Earlier, on March 30, an FIR was registered in Mumbai’s Kalbadevi area against two individuals for allegedly storing and using domestic LPG cylinders illegally for commercial purposes at a hotel. According to LT Marg Police, the accused — Harish Mehta and Prakash Purohit — were booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Essential Commodities Act.

–IANS

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