Jaipur, August 12: The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), in collaboration with the Rajasthan Police, has dismantled an interstate gang involved in stealing crude oil from the HPCL pipeline in the Pachpadra tehsil of Barmer district. Eight individuals have been arrested in connection with this case.
According to the Gujarat ATS, the gang allegedly dug a deep pit on barren land near Kaludi village, installed a valve, and illegally connected to the pipeline to siphon off crude oil. During interrogation, the accused reportedly confessed to stealing two tankers of crude oil, each with a capacity of 10 tons, within a week.
Reports indicate that the Gujarat ATS received information about individuals from Gujarat and Rajasthan collaborating to steal crude oil from the HPCL pipeline and selling it on the Ahmedabad-Rajkot highway. After confirming the information, the ATS team apprehended Jairaj Singh near the road leading to Sokhada village on the Ahmedabad-Rajkot highway.
During questioning, he allegedly revealed that the crude oil in his possession was sourced from Kaludi village in Barmer district. Subsequently, the ATS, along with Rajasthan Police, detained seven other members of the gang from a roadside eatery near Tapra village in Barmer.
The accused were taken to the Jasol police station for further questioning, where they reportedly admitted to illegally extracting oil from the HPCL pipeline. Investigators noted that the gang had dug a deep pit on barren land near Kaludi village and installed a valve on the pipeline to extract crude oil.
Following the arrests, HPCL officials were notified. Reports confirm that a valve connected illegally to the pipeline was identified during a joint investigation by HPCL staff and Rajasthan Police. An FIR has been filed at the Jasol police station based on a complaint from Shrawan Kumar Jat, a security supervisor at the refinery.
According to the FIR, the incident occurred on August 9 and came to light on the night of August 10. The arrested individuals have been identified as Ghanshyam Soni (54) from Nagalpur, Mehsana district, Gujarat; Ramesh Thakor (41) from Chhalasan, Gujarat; Mahesh Thakor (32) from Chhalasan, Gujarat; Sureji Thakor (32) from Jhotana, Gujarat; Jaisingh Chudasama (34) from Dhoraji, Rajkot district, Gujarat; Mukesh Kumar Meghwal (44) originally from Jaswantpura, Jalore district, Rajasthan, currently residing in Ahmedabad; Ranjit Chaurasia (48) from Kalol, Gandhinagar district, Gujarat; and Dilip Yadav (35) from Asapur, Etawah (UP).
Investigators revealed that the stolen crude oil was allegedly sold to Govind Singh Chouhan, a resident of Beawar in Rajasthan. Further investigations are ongoing to trace the financial transactions related to the stolen oil and the potential involvement of other individuals in this network.
According to ATS sources, gang members reportedly surveilled the pipeline for about six months before executing the theft. The alleged mastermind, Ghanshyam Soni, stayed at the residence of Mukesh Meghwal from Jaswantpura in Jalore district while surveying the pipeline and surrounding areas.
Investigators are now looking into the larger network of this gang, the disposal of the stolen crude oil, and whether similar attempts were made on other sections of the HPCL pipeline.
Deependra Singh Chundawat is a Senior Sub-Editor at Udaipur Kiran, specializing in a wide range of technology topics including mobile phones, applications, gaming, PCs, and wearables. Along with covering the latest tech news, he also creates engaging web stories. Passionate about emerging technologies, he stays up to date with the newest trends and enjoys reading and writing about the latest mobile launches and digital innovations.