Jaipur, August 12: The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), in collaboration with Rajasthan police, has dismantled an interstate gang involved in stealing crude oil from the HPCL pipeline in the Pachpadra tehsil of Barmer district. Eight individuals have been arrested in connection with this case.
According to the Gujarat ATS, the gang allegedly dug a deep pit on barren land near Kaludi village, installed a valve, and illegally connected to the pipeline to siphon off crude oil.
During interrogation, the suspects reportedly confessed to stealing two tankers of crude oil, each with a capacity of 10 tons, within a week. They admitted to stealing oil from both tankers and selling the stolen product.
Reports indicate that the Gujarat ATS received intelligence about individuals from Gujarat and Rajasthan collaborating to steal crude oil from the HPCL pipeline and selling it along the Ahmedabad-Rajkot highway. After confirming the information, the ATS team detained Jairaj Singh near the road leading to Sokhda village on the Ahmedabad-Rajkot highway.
During questioning, he allegedly revealed that the crude oil in his possession was sourced from Kaludi village in Barmer district. Subsequently, the ATS, in conjunction with Rajasthan police, apprehended seven other gang members at a roadside dhaba near Tapra village, close to Barmer.
The suspects were taken to Jasol police station for further questioning, where they purportedly confessed to illegally extracting oil from the HPCL pipeline.
Investigators reported that the gang had dug a deep pit on barren land near Kaludi village and installed a valve on the pipeline to extract crude oil.
Following the arrests, HPCL officials were notified. Reports confirm that a valve illegally connected to the pipeline was identified during a joint investigation by HPCL staff and Rajasthan police. An FIR was filed at Jasol police station based on a complaint from Shrawan Kumar Jat, a security supervisor at the refinery.
According to the FIR, the incident occurred on August 9 and came to light on the night of August 10. The arrested individuals have been identified as Ghanshyam Soni (54) from Nagalpur, Mehsana district, Gujarat; Ramesh Thakor (41) from Chhalasan, Gujarat; Mahesh Thakor (32) from Chhalasan, Gujarat; Sureji Thakor (32) from Jhotana, Gujarat; Jaisingh Chudasama (34) from Dhoraji, Rajkot district, Gujarat; Mukesh Kumar Meghwal (44) originally from Jaswantpura, Jalore district, Rajasthan, currently residing in Ahmedabad; Ranjit Chaurasia (48) from Kalol, Gandhinagar district, Gujarat; and Dilip Yadav (35) from Asapur, Etawah (UP).
Investigators revealed that the stolen crude oil was allegedly sold to Govind Singh Chouhan, a resident of Beawar in Rajasthan. Further investigations are ongoing to trace the financial transactions related to the stolen oil and to uncover the potential involvement of others in this network.
According to ATS sources, gang members reportedly surveilled the pipeline for about six months before executing the theft. The alleged mastermind, Ghanshyam Soni, stayed at Mukesh Meghwal’s house in Jaswantpura, Jalore district, while surveying the pipeline and surrounding areas.
Investigators noted that after the reconnaissance, Ranjit, Ramesh, Sureji, Mahesh, and Dilip Yadav stayed at a dhaba near Tapra village for about a month.
Police and ATS are now probing the larger network of this gang, the disposal of the stolen crude oil, and whether similar attempts were made on other sections of the HPCL pipeline.
Leave a Comment