Team of experts study gadget used to pilfer oil
New Delhi   07-May-2013

Over two months after the Mansa police exposed a state-wide racket of under-filling of fuel in vehicles by the staff at several petrol stations, a team of experts today studied the pumping machines and the remote control device used to carry out the illegal activity.

The team comprised officials from the IndianOil and MIDCO, the firm that had designed the pumping machines. It was the first check by any technical team after the expose on February 28. The gang involved in the racket had its roots in Uttar Pradesh. They had installed the remote-control devices in around 50 pumps across the state. The device reportedly used to under-fill a litre of fuel per 10 litres.

Mansa Senior Superintendent of Police Narinder Bhargava said the expose had come as a surprise for the oil companies.

DK Amra, who headed the team of experts, said they wanted to study the machines and the remote device to ensure such incidents did not recur. The police had booked 15 persons, including a few petrol station owners, in the case. The main accused was Ankur Verma of Uttar Pradesh, who claimed to have been charging Rs 10,000 to Rs 40,000 for fitting the device at filling stations.