Haryana Police on Tuesday said it have busted a gang involved in oil theft from Indian Oil Corporation Limited's (IOCL) pipeline after it arrested seven people from Rohtak district.
In a press statement, Police said that the accused have been identified as Sachin (kingpin of the gang), Joginder, Aarti, Satbir, Prashant, l and Karambir alias Kala.
According to Police, Sachin alongwith other associate Ashok (who is at large), after loss in garage business, together with family members conspired to steal oil from Rewari-Ppat oil pipeline passing through Sampla area.
"In November 2019, both of them along with others started stealing oil from pipeline passing through Paksma fields. When the oil company came to know of oil theft in December 2019, the accused absconded. In January / February 2020, the accused again started stealing oil from a pipeline passing from village Naunand. After the fall in pressure, the oil company reported the matter to the police," Police said.
On getting complaint, a joint team of Sampla Police Station and Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) was constituted which successfully detected the gang involved in oil theft. It is a major success as the crime not only relates to loss of revenue to IOCL but pilferage in oil pipelines could have led to fire hazards, Police said.
Investigation revealed that the owner of the farm through which the oil pipeline passing was also included in this nefarious design, Police added.
According to Police, Sachin and Ashok have sold the stolen oil from the oil pipeline to Prashant, l and Karmabir at cheap prices, who have further sold it to others. Prashant has a petrol pump at Sonipat Road, Rohtak. l runs a rented petrol pump in Jhajjar. Sachin and Ashok have stolen oil worth millions of rupees from the oil pipeline.
After registration of case under relevant sections of IPC, efforts are on to nab the absconding members of the gang, Police said.
Further investigation is underway, Police added.
( With inputs from ANI )