Jaipur, March 14 (IANS) Acting on a complaint by Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), the Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG) has cracked a case involving an attempt to steal petroleum products from the IOCL KJPPL (KSPL) pipeline and arrested four accused, including the alleged mastermind.

Vishal Bansal, Additional Director General of Police (SOG), Jaipur, said the theft attempt occurred in August 2023 in Ramgarh village under the Sendra police station limits of Pali district. The case was registered at the SOG police station in Jaipur on August 5, 2023, following a report filed by Sher Singh Chauhan, Manager, IOCL, Beawar.

According to the complaint, unidentified persons had punctured the IOCL pipeline by welding a valve and flange pipe onto it with the intention of siphoning petroleum products. As the pipeline carries highly flammable substances, the act posed a serious risk of fire and a major accident.

Considering the gravity of the case, special investigation teams were formed under the supervision of Paris Deshmukh, DIG (SOG), and led by Shyam Sundar Bishnoi, Additional Superintendent of Police (SOG Unit, Ajmer).

During the investigation, the crime scene was examined by an FSL team, technical evidence including BTS data was analysed, and local witnesses were questioned. Based on technical and human intelligence, four accused involved in the conspiracy were arrested and remanded to five days’ police custody.

Efforts are underway to arrest another accused, Pankaj Vaghela of Ahmedabad (Gujarat), who allegedly carried out the technical work of puncturing the pipeline.

During questioning, it emerged that the main accused, Jitendra Singh Rawat, along with his associates Devendra Singh, Prem Singh and Pratap Sher Singh, had planned to steal petroleum products by installing a valve on the pipeline.

Since they lacked technical expertise, they contacted Pankaj Vaghela, who had prior experience in such crimes. Vaghela allegedly punctured the pipeline in an agricultural field in Ramgarh using specialised tools and installed a valve.

A pipe was connected to the valve to transfer petroleum into a tanker parked nearby. The accused then concealed the valve by covering it with soil and ploughing the field to avoid detection.

However, their attempt to siphon petroleum failed due to low flow in the pipeline. While trying to move the tanker, it got stuck in marshy ground, causing visible disturbance to the field surface, which later raised suspicion.

The tampering was eventually detected during routine inspection by IOCL personnel, after which the accused fled their homes.

Those arrested include Jitendra Singh alias Jeetu Maharaj (31), resident of Nichla Badiya, Ramgarh Sedotan, PS Sendra, district Beawar; Devendra Singh (32), resident of Ramgarh Sedotan, PS Sendra, district Beawar; Pratap Sher Singh alias Sheru (36), resident of Kesharpura, PS Sendra, district Beawar; and Prem Singh (48), resident of Kesharpura, PS Sendra, district Beawar.

ADG Bansal added that one of the accused, Prem Singh Rawat, has previously been charge-sheeted in five criminal cases, including two related to petroleum theft. Further investigation is in progress.

–IANS

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