R’than IOC officials in crosshairs of oil mafia?
Mumbai   29-Jan-2011

The oil mafia, involved in fuel heist and killing witnesses to the theft, is active in Rajasthan, too.

The incident of Maharashtra oil mafia burning alive additional district collector Yashwant Sonawane at Manmad has refreshed memories of the fire at the IndianOil’s terminal-cum-depot on October 29, 2009 that killed 11 people. Of the six IOC employees killed in the fire, two were witnesses in a diesel theft case being investigated by the CBI and another was helping investigators as a technical expert.

Mahendra Gaur, a lawyer fighting for the widows of the IOC officials, had sought police protection for himself and his family early this month. He is also contesting a defamation case against an ex-IOC official, Shadi Lal Verma, in a Mumbai court. Just a week before Sonawane was burnt alive, Gaur wrote to the Rajasthan chief secretary and DGP for police protection. Gaur was to appear in Mumbai on January 25. On January 18, he sent an application to the CMM seeking exemption from personal appearance on grounds that he feared for his safety.