A major racket targeting domestic gas consumers was unearthed in the State capital following a surprise raid by the Food Department. Officials intercepted a delivery truck belonging to Saini Indane Gas Agency and found a significant number of cylinders to be underweight, exposing a systematic theft operation. The investigation was triggered by the unusual movement of a truck (UP78 GT0294) operated by Shri Balaji Transport, Gwalior. Driver Mohammad Siraj had loaded 342 filled cylinders from the Bakania IOCL depot on Wednesday evening. Despite the destination, a warehouse in Imlia village, being only a few kilometres away, the vehicle took nearly 12 hours to arrive, raising serious red flags. Acting on a tip-off, Food Department officials, in co-ordination with the Weights and Measures Department, conducted a thorough inspection of the cargo.

 

The results were startling: out of 342 cylinders, 27 were found to be short of gas, with discrepancies ranging from 1 kg to 2.5 kg per unit. Furthermore, five cylinders were found without the mandatory company safety seals, providing clear evidence of illegal tampering and gas extraction. The Food Department team, comprising Assistant Supply Officer Sandeep Bhargava and Junior Officers Safdar Khan, Sunil Verma, Trunal Jambhokar, and Vasundhara Pendro, promptly seized the vehicle and the entire consignment. The truck has been handed over to the Sukhi Sewania Police for further legal proceedings. To ensure that consumers are not affected, the cylinders have been transferred to another agency for safe distribution. Authorities are now investigating whether the agency management was complicit in the racket or if the transport crew acted independently.