Fuel pump owners accused of black-marketing

Gaighat, April 11

A police team arrested as many as six persons for their involvement in black-marketing of fuel some days ago in Udayapur.

The police team had arrested Jogendra Sah, Chandra Bhusan Bihari, Sabitri Sah and Bharbindra Mishra for selling petrol at Rs 150 to 200 per litre from Triyuga Municipality some three days ago. The arrested confessed that they had bought fuel from local pumps and sold it at an inflated price.

According to DSP Om Rana Magar of Udayapur District Police Office, the black-marketeers had bought petrol at Rs 130 per litre from local petrol pumps and sold it at higher price. He said the police seized around 400 litres petrol from the arrested. He informed that the petrol pump owners, who sold petrol to the arrested at a higher price, would also be booked.

Despite smooth and adequate supply of fuel in the district on a daily basis, the pump owners are said to have closed their pumps citing fuel shortage.

Meanwhile, customers accused the pump owners of selling fuel to black-marketeers instead of selling it to the local residents.