Rajkot Crime Branch busts racket selling bogus biodiesel

Rajkot: The city crime branch police has busted a racket selling adulterated fuel disguised as biodiesel and seized a stockpile of 1.54 lakh liters along the Rajkot-Ahmedabad highway.

Acting on a tip-off, the police conducted a raid on an open storage facility adjacent to a petrol station in Maliyasan, located around 10 km from Rajkot city, where the adulterated fuel was being manufactured. The confiscated inventory and items are valued at Rs 1.4 crore.

This spurious fuel was primarily sold to truck drivers at a rate of Rs 54 per liter, which is below the regular diesel price of Rs 91 per liter. Seven individuals were involved in this illegal operation, and the police arrested Dipesh Mehta, who was overseeing this unauthorized fuel outlet, along with his driver Rajesh Chavda. The sellers lacked the necessary licenses or permits to distribute this fuel in the market.

Parthrajsinh Gohil, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), revealed, “The gang was producing adulterated fuel by blending oil with an industrial solvent to manipulate its density. This illicit operation was ongoing for the past 3-4 months. The police mentioned that they had leased tankers for storage from private transporters, who will also face inquiry.” DeshGujarat