Illegal LPG storage, refilling racket busted in Palam village

The Delhi Police unearthed an illegal LPG storage and refilling racket operating in Palam village in South West Delhi and arrested three persons, official said on Thursday.

The accused have been identified as Anaar Singh, a driver from Najafgarh; Satyaveer, a delivery worker from Dabri; and Vikas Kumar, an assistant delivery worker from Palam.

During the operation, 45 domestic gas cylinders, along with refilling equipment and a transport vehicle, were seized from the site.

The police got a tip-off regarding the suspicious storage of LPG cylinders at a vacant plot near Adarsh Gali on March 28. Acting promptly, a team from the Palam village police station reached the spot in the early hours to verify the information.

During the search, officials found a tempo parked within the premises, carrying a substantial number of cylinders. In addition to those inside the vehicle, several cylinders were found lying in the open area of the plot. After examination, the police observed that gas was being illegally transferred from one cylinder to another using nozzles and a weighing machine, without adhering to any prescribed safety measures, thereby creating a serious hazard for people living in the vicinity.

The authorities indicated that the operation was allegedly being conducted by individuals associated with Blue Flame Gas Service located in Janakpuri.

Officials from the SDM office in Dwarka, along with representatives from BPCL and the Food Safety Department, later inspected the premises and corroborated the findings, confirming that the activities being carried out at the site were illegal in nature.

Subsequently, a case has been registered at Palam village police station under Sections 287 and 288 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), in addition to relevant provisions of the Essential Commodities Act.

The recovered items, including 45 cylinders, three gas transfer nozzles, a weighing machine and the tempo, have been seized.