Mumbai: FIR Registered After Raid on Chembur Kitchen for LPG Norms Violation

A case of illegal use of domestic LPG cylinders for commercial purposes has come to light in a fast food kitchen in the Chembur area of Mumbai. Acting on a tip-off, a joint team of the Rationing Department and Mumbai Police conducted a raid and seized both domestic and commercial gas cylinders from the premises. The RCF Police have registered an FIR against the operator and the owner-partners of the establishment and initiated further investigation.

According to police sources, the Deputy Controller’s office of the Rationing Department in Wadala had received a complaint that domestic LPG cylinders were being used for cooking at “Ministry of Naan” fast food kitchen located on Dr. CG Road in Chembur. Following the information, a team led by Assistant Controller Ramkrishna Nemaji Kamble reached the spot and carried out a raid.

During the operation, Sunil Kumar Sahani, who was present at the kitchen, was questioned. He informed the officials that he had been managing the kitchen for the past one year on behalf of his son Ayush Sunil Sahani and his partners. The establishment was being run from a rented premises.

Upon inspection, officials found that domestic LPG cylinders were being used for commercial cooking. When asked to produce relevant documents for the cylinders, Sahani failed to provide any valid papers on the spot. During questioning, he claimed that one domestic cylinder belonged to his house while another was taken from a friend.

A total of five cylinders were seized during the raid, including two domestic LPG cylinders (one full and one partially used) and three empty commercial cylinders. The total estimated value of the seized cylinders is Rs 13,026. For safety reasons, all seized cylinders were later handed over to a gas agency.

The Rationing Department has filed a complaint against Sunil Kumar Sahani and the owner-partners of the kitchen under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 and the LPG Supply and Distribution Regulation Order, 2000.

It is important to note that domestic LPG cylinders are subsidised by the government to benefit common households. Their use for commercial purposes is illegal and is considered a misuse of government provisions as well as a violation of consumer rights.