Three cops among six held for diesel theft from HPCL pipeline

Six persons, including three police personnel, were arrested recently for alleged pilferage of diesel from an oil company's underground pipeline in Lohegaon area here, a police official said today.
The officials of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) had registered a case with Vimantal police station after they found that unidentified people had drilled the underground pipeline of the company and pilfered 5000-litre diesel worth Rs 3 lakh between May 11 and 12.
The incident came to light on May 12 after the oil firm officials found the pipeline damaged.
During the investigation, alleged involvement of sub-inspectors Ravindra Bhide and Suhas Thombre, and police constable Avinash Shivsharan, besides three persons came to fore, said the station duty officer of Vimantal police station.

Bhide and Shivsharan are attached to Chandannagar police station in Pune commisionerate whereas Thombre to Pune rural police.
"We have arrested all six people under relevant sections of the IPC, Essential Commodity Act, Petroleum and Mineral Pipelines (P&MP) Act, 1962, and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984," said the officer.
All the six accused were produced before a court today, which remanded them in police custody till June 9.
According to investigators, the accused used a tanker, which remains to be traced, to transport pilfered diesel and sold it.