Rajkot Highway Raid Uncovers Gas Refilling Scam Worth Rs 74.31 Lakh
Five Arrested, Two Fugitives Sought in Illegal Gas Refilling Operation
RAJKOT — A major gas refilling racket operating illicitly on the Jamnagar-Rajkot highway was dismantled by the police, leading to the arrest of five individuals and the seizure of equipment and supplies valued at Rs 74.31 lakh. The operation was executed near the Patidar Show Mill behind the Supreme Hotel. Acting on a tip-off, the Jamnagar SOG team intervened to halt the illegal activities and probe deeper into the scam.
The arrested individuals include Ratna Devyat Mori, Manish Arshi Odedara, Samat Maya Hun, Sudesh Nanoram Digra, and Karan Singh Chatur Singh. All were apprehended while in the act of refilling gas cylinders from a tanker on the highway. However, two primary suspects, Vanraj Singh Sodha and another individual named Bhana, remain at large. Sodha, hailing from Shekhpat in Jamnagar, played a pivotal role by providing critical information about the tanker to the rest of the group.
Key figures in the operation, Karan Singh Chatur Singh of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, and Sudesh Nanoram Digra, originally from Parpal in Jammu and Kashmir, served as the main drivers. They had been orchestrating this illicit refilling for quite some time. Among the confiscated items were two tankers, 56 gas cylinders, a pick-up vehicle, and an assortment of gas refilling equipment.
The exposed operation had been running for several days, with a member of the group alerting the others upon the tanker's arrival. Once on site, they would breach the tanker's seal, refill individual cylinders, taking 300 to 500 rupees per bottle, and then reseal the tanker. While the police have managed to apprehend the majority of the culprits, efforts to locate and arrest the remaining two are underway.