LPG racket busted in Palam; 3 held, 45 cylinders seized

The Delhi Police has apprehended three men for allegedly running an illegal LPG storage and refilling racket in southwest Delhi’s Palam area, an official said on Thursday.

Police said they recovered 45 domestic gas cylinders, three gas transfer nozzles, a weighing machine and a tempo (mini truck).

The accused were identified as Anaar Singh, Satyaveer and Vikas Kumari.

They were allegedly involved in unauthorised storage and transfer of LPG cylinders in a residential locality, posing serious safety risks, the officer said.

“Police learned about the racket on March 28 when a team from Palam, acting on a tip-off, raided a vacant plot in Adarsh Gali. The police team found a tempo parked inside the premises and a large number of Bharat Gas cylinders stored both inside the vehicle and in the open,” the officer said.

Police found that gas was being illegally transferred from one cylinder to another using nozzles and a weighing machine, without adhering to any safety norms.

The accused failed to produce any valid licence or authorisation for storing or refilling the cylinders, the officer said.

The accused allegedly told the police that they had rented the plot for illegal storage and were refilling cylinders to earn quick money.

A case has been registered, and an investigation is underway, police said.