Police sources say petrol pumps fill up tankers during nighttime and supply diesel to the industry premises itself.
The anomaly came to light when a team of District Police Office, Morang, found five workers of Dhital Oil Store of Kanchanbari loading 20,000 liters of diesel into a tanker for supplying fuel to big industries. "We got a tip-off about the wrongdoing on Sunday night," Superintendent of Police (SP) Sandip Bhandari said. "When we reached the pump, we found workers of the pump loading diesel into a tanker through the delivery pump. They had already loaded around 19,800 liters of diesel into the tanker when we reached the scene."
Tanker driver Jogendra Urau said owner of Dhital Oil Store had directed him to deliver diesel to Aarti Strips. Urau also said he had delivered diesel even to Hetuda-based Shivam Cements. "I have already supplied diesel to different industries four or five times," Urau said at a press meet organized by District Police Office, Morang, on Monday. "I, however, do not know the price charged by the pump owner."
Along with Urau, pump workers Sitaram Chaudhary, Bajaru Chaudhary and Ramesh Adhikari and assistant of the tanker Bhim Bahadur Majhi have been arrested by the police.
SP Bhandari said they would file case against the owner of Dhital Oil Store under Black Market and Some Other Social Offences and Punishment Act, 2032.
Santosh Dhital is the owner of Dhital Oil Store. However, Manish Maru had been operating the pump on lease. Maru had gone out of contact after the police action.
Meanwhile, Morang Police is investigating into the case with the help of Biratnagar-based regional office of Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC).
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