A 35-year-old man was arrested on Monday night on charges of storing more than 4,000 liters of diesel in Dakshina Kannada district, police said on Wednesday.
The accused, identified as Jagashish, was arrested from his home in Kanyoru village in Belthangady taluk, they added.
Rohini CK, deputy inspector of Belthangady police, under whose command the operation was conducted, said 4,175 liters of diesel were recovered from 20 200-litre drums and five 35-litre cans.
“Several empty barrels and cans were also found at the site, indicating preparations to store more fuel,” Rouhini said.
Officials estimated the value of the seized diesel at approximately $3.5 lakh. The police said that the fuel was stored without obtaining the required license and without following established safety standards, adding that this arrangement constitutes a fire risk. During interrogation, Jagadish initially claimed that the fuel was intended for use in his truck and excavator.
“He later admitted that he expected fuel prices to rise due to the ongoing war in West Asia, and stockpiled it looking for an opportunity to trade on the black market,” Rouhini said. A case has been registered against Jagadish under Sections 287 and 3(5) of the BNS relating to negligent behavior with combustible materials, Section 23 of the Petroleum Act, 1934, and Sections 3 and 7 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, the police said, adding that an investigation is currently underway.
Officials pointed out that the village in this incident is located near the 280-km Mangaluru-Bengaluru petroleum pipeline owned by Petronet India, which starts near MRPL in Dakshina Kannada and ends at Devanagundi village outside Nelamangala near Bengaluru.
(with PTI inputs)
