Illegal LPG Cylinder Racket Busted in Bhubaneswar, One Arrested

Bhubaneswar: Police on Monday busted an alleged illegal LPG cylinder trade operating in the Chunukoli slum area under Chandrasekharpur police station limits in the city and arrested one person in connection with the case.

The accused has been identified as Manoj Kumar Sahoo, a resident of Salipur in Cuttack district and a former manager at a gas agency.

Acting on a tip-off, a police team conducted a raid in the area and seized 11 filled LPG cylinders, eight empty cylinders, and an auto-rickshaw from the spot. The accused was apprehended during the operation.

According to preliminary investigation, Sahoo allegedly misused his previous role at a gas agency to gain access to consumer details. He is suspected to have identified LPG consumers in slum areas with low usage and collected their domestic gas consumer cards.

Police said the accused allegedly used these cards to book subsidised LPG cylinders in bulk and later diverted them to the black market. The cylinders were reportedly sold at inflated prices ranging between Rs 3,000 and Rs 3,500 each.

Investigators further revealed that Sahoo allegedly paid around Rs 500 per cylinder as commission to some residents whose consumer cards were used in the racket.

Police have also seized gas booking receipts and multiple consumer cards during the raid. Further investigation is underway to identify other possible links in the supply chain and determine the extent of the operation.