Gang which stole petrol from HPCL pipeline busted, six held

The accused stole petrol by drilling a hole into the pipeline in Gawan Pada area, said a police official. The arrested men were identified as Irfan Shamsher Khan (28), Eshwar More (31), Saleem Pyarelal Shareef (44), Riyaz Ahmed Mulla (55), Kishor Vishwanath Shirsode (36) and Irfan alias Raju.

Mumbai police on Thursday claimed to have arrested six men who stole petrol from a pipeline of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) here. The accused stole petrol by drilling a hole into the pipeline in Gawan Pada area, said a police official.

The arrested men were identified as Irfan Shamsher Khan (28), Eshwar More (31), Saleem Pyarelal Shareef (44), Riyaz Ahmed Mulla (55), Kishor Vishwanath Shirsode (36) and Irfan alias Raju. Mulla was allegedly the kingpin of the racket.

"We arrested Shirsode and Raju first. They led us to the other accused who were nabbed two days ago. We have also recovered an oil tanker used for carrying away the petrol," said senior inspector Sopan Nighot of RCF police station. The accused allegedly told the police that they were stealing petrol from the pipeline for the last one month. It was sold at a very low rate to dispose it of quickly.

The accused were booked under IPC sections 379 (Punishment for theft), 285 (Negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter) as well as under the Petroleum Act, 1934. Shirsode and Raju obtained bail while others are in police custody and further investigation is underway, the official said.