Mumbai Police Crack Down on Illegal LPG Cylinder Storage: 23 Cylinders Seized
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Mumbai, April 2 (NationPress) - The Mumbai Police have initiated legal action against a gas delivery worker for unlawfully storing commercial LPG cylinders in a public space. The individual, named Shahid Ali Imam Hussain Sayyed, was apprehended with 23 empty commercial gas cylinders and a tempo, all of which have since been confiscated.
Following a complaint from a rationing officer in the Govandi region, authorities have applied Sections 3, 7, and 8 of the Essential Commodities Act, alongside provisions from the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Order, 2000.
According to officials, a rationing inspector observed a suspicious tempo parked near a public toilet in the Gautam Nagar vicinity, adjacent to the Deonar slaughterhouse. Suspecting illicit activities, the accused was summoned to the location and instructed to open the vehicle. Upon examination, police discovered 23 empty commercial LPG cylinders of various capacities, including those belonging to Bharat Gas and Hindustan Gas.
Authorities indicated that the accused had been unlawfully storing the cylinders for personal profit. The total value of the seized cylinders and the vehicle is estimated at Rs 93,800. An ongoing investigation is in progress.
Incidents of this nature have been on the rise recently.
In a related event in Delhi on April 1, the Delhi Police Crime Branch dismantled an illegal LPG cylinder storage and refilling operation in the Dabri area, confiscating 17 domestic gas cylinders from multiple suppliers.
Acting on reliable intelligence, officials conducted a coordinated raid at a shop in Seetapuri, where an unauthorized LPG cylinder storage and refilling operation was discovered. The raid resulted in the recovery of 17 cylinders, which included five from Bharat Petroleum, five from Hindustan Petroleum, and seven from Indane Gas.
Previously, on March 30, an FIR was lodged in Mumbai’s Kalbadevi area against two suspects for allegedly storing and using domestic LPG cylinders unlawfully for commercial purposes at a hotel. According to the LT Marg Police, the accused, Harish Mehta and Prakash Purohit, were charged under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Essential Commodities Act.