SC issues notice on diesel adulteration in western UP

The Supreme Court Friday issued notice to the central government on a PIL seeking a CBI probe into the marketing of diesel adulterated with kerosene by black-marketers in western Uttar Pradesh causing damage to atmosphere by pollution and also to the vehicles.

A bench of Justice T.S. Thakur and Justice Vikramajit Sen, while issuing notice, asked the PIL petitioner Seema Upadhyay to delete the references to Samajwadi Party legislator Devendra Aggarwal and his relative in the petition.

Noting that Upadhyaya was a Lok Sabha member belonging to Bahujan Samaj Party from Fatehpur Sikri (Agra), the court said that she could be absolutely right in what she was saying on the adulteration of diesel with kerosene but she could not make political mileage by roping in her political rivals.

"You may be absolutely right but you are trying to gain political mileage," Justice Thakur said pointing out that Agarwal and his relative were focus of her petition, which had several allegations and insinuations against the two.

"You are talking about Hathras and not about Agra," Justice Thakur asked as counsel Chandra Shekhar, appearing for Upadhyay, said that the outlets of public distribution system in the region were hand in glove with police and people enjoying political patronage.

The PIL said that because of the adulteration, the kerosene that should have been available to poor people from the public distribution system (PDS) outlets was not reaching them.

The court gave Chandra Shekhar two days time to delete the portion of the PIL making references to Agarwal and his relative.