In a nationwide crackdown on the sale of adulterated petroleum products, the Central Bureau of Investigation has conducted 85 searches and registered 11 cases across the country.
The joint surprise checks were conducted along with officials of oil PSUs to check the adulteration and diversion of petroleum products, to verify stock and prevent black marketing of LPG, a CBI spokesperson said in New Delhi on Thursday.
The Jaipur unit of CBI carried out the maximum of 23 searches followed by Srinagar (12), Anti-Corruption Branch Kolkata (7), Jammu (5) and Delhi (4), he said.
"During the surprise checks, it was found at many places hat density of petroleum products is less than the standard. It was also found that customers were not being given the quantity for which they are being charged," he said.
The agency found that PDS kerosene oil is being diverted to the open market at many places.
"The drawn samples have been sent to various concerned laboratories for further testing," he said.
Delhi unit of CBI Anti-Corruption branch has registered five cases in connection with diversion of Naphtha, Pentane, special boiling point solvent and other petroleum products.
Four cases have been filed against a firm in Jhajjar district in Haryana and one against a Meerut-based firm, he said.
The firms purchased Naphtha and Pentane and other petroleum solvent from Kandla Port and various units of GAIL for further distillation and sale in the market as per the conditions of license.
"In gross violation of the license conditions, the said firms diverted 78,45,982 litres of Naphtha and 3371.58 metric tones of Pentane. The petroleum products were used to adulterate petroleum products and diesel, thereby causing loss of nearly Rs six crore to the government and also causing great damage to the environment," he said.
The official said searches were conducted at the factory premises and offices of the firms in Delhi and NCR regions.
"During searches, it was found that most of the factories are either defunct or non-functional. The searches have led to recovery of incriminating documents," he said.
The Economic Offences Wing of the agency also registered four cases relating to adulteration of petroleum products against three private persons and other unknown people for criminal conspiracy and under sections of Essential Commodities Act.
The unit carried out joint surprise checks along with officers of petroleum companies at Geeta Colony, Nangaloi and Prahaladpur in Delhi.
During the checks, petroleum products in large quantity, storage tanks, plastic drums and pipes, chemicals such as bleaching powder, suction pumps were found at different places indicating that these premises are being used for adulteration purposes and for sale, the spokesperson said.
Similar searches were conducted at Thiruvananthpuram and a case was registered against owner of a shop at Cherangar Trichur and unknown officials of oil company for selling adulterated motor spirit and high speed diesel oil besides for sale and possession of other such items without valid documents issued by oil companies, the official said.
In Chennai, four persons found to be involved in pilferage, adulteration and sale of petroleum products were arrested, the spokesperson said.
CBI officials also conducted raids at six petrol pumps and three drug companies in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in connection with alleged malpractices in public distribution of petroleum products and medicines.
The raids that began last week are against malpractices in public distribution of petroleum products and adulterated or spurious drugs, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, CBI DIG Hemant Priyadarshi told reporters in Bhopal on Thursday.
