Police Foil Diversion of LPG Cylinders

Hyderabad: Ten people, including a cooking gas agency operator, were arrested for allegedly selling LPG cylinders at inflated prices at Nagarjuna junction in Banjara Hills, police said on Monday. Police said the Jubilee Hills commissioner’s task force along with Banjara Hills police caught the accused red-handed while dumping HP gas cylinders in the cemetery in violation of safety norms.

Police identified the main suspect as Mohd. Aamir allegedly ran the Metro Gas Agency in Shamshabad and spearheaded the illegal operation. Others arrested included Mohd. Yusuf, Mohd. Ismail, A. Rama Rao, Lok Kumar, Mohd. Sakruddin, Mohd. Muntaz Ansari, Mohd. Minaj Ansari, Rajesh Pal and Ram Raj Singh.

During interrogation, Aamir allegedly confessed that he diverted the gas cylinders with the help of workers and threw them in the cemetery, where they were sold to customers at higher prices. The team seized 414 LPG cylinders worth ₹21.88 lakh, along with 10 goods transport vans and cars. The accused were handed over to the Banjara Hill police and were produced in court and remanded in judicial custody.