A case has been filed against an unknown person for allegedly stealing diesel from the underground pipeline of the HPCL near Aadai Village in Panvel along Mumbai-Pune Expressway. The diesel theft was noticed by the security department of Reliance Pipeline and they informed the HPCL officials. According to the police, the accused had excavated the area along the pipeline and installed a valve to siphon off diesel. "The trench was discovered in time, preventing further theft," stated an official from the Khandeshwar police station. He added that approximately 50 liters of diesel had been pilfered when the security team at Reliance Pipeline noticed the breach.
The complainant, Sachin Gaikwad, assistant manager of HPCL attached to the Vashi office of Mumbai-Pune Solapur Pipeline, reported that the trench was located approximately 60 meters along the Mumbai-Pune Expressway in Panvel. Upon receiving information about the diesel theft, a team from HPCL visited the site around 11:30 pm on December 23 and identified a valve fitted to the pipeline for diesel theft. "It appears that the accused had recently installed the valve and intended to extract diesel in the days to come," remarked an official from the Khandeshwar police station. Following the complaint by the HPCL official, the Khandeshwar police reached the spot and registered a case under IPC Act sections 379 (theft), 511 (attempted theft), and sections 15 (2) of the Petroleum and Minerals Pipeline Acquisition Right User Inland Act, including section 3 of the Public Property Damage Act. The Khandeshwar police are reviewing CCTV footage from nearby areas. Meanwhile, a police official noted that the act appeared non-professional, given the small quantity of diesel withdrawn, amounting to just 50 liters.