Pune: Illegal Gas Refilling Racket Busted In Pimpri-Chinchwad; Two Booked In Separate Cases

Pimpri-Chinchwad: Police have cracked down on illegal domestic gas refilling activities in two separate operations in the city, detaining one person and booking another for endangering lives by handling highly inflammable gas without safety measures.

In the first case, the Anti-Property Crime Cell of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Crime Branch detained a 28-year-old man for illegally extracting gas from domestic cylinders. The accused has been identified as Narayan Shivaji Janjal, a resident of Lohagaon in Pune.

Police said the incident took place on Tuesday night, March 24, in the parking area of a labour camp at Pride World City in Charholi Budruk. Acting on a tip-off, the police caught the accused while he was transferring gas from domestic cylinders into other containers using a nozzle. Officials said he was doing this for financial gain despite knowing the serious risks involved.

Police have seized illegal gas stock worth ₹9,800 from him. A complaint in this case was filed by a police constable, and further investigation is being carried out by Dighi Police Station.

In a separate action on the same night, police registered a case against another man for running an illegal gas refilling operation in Bhosari. The accused has been identified as Mahesh Madhavrao More (33), a resident of Bhosari.

According to police, the accused was refilling gas from large domestic cylinders into smaller 4-kg tanks using a circuit setup at a shop named ‘Raghav Home Appliances’ near Hanuman Temple in Bhosari. The activity posed a serious threat to public safety.

Police seized materials worth ₹28,100 from the spot, including gas cylinders and equipment used for refilling. A complaint in this case was filed by a police constable, and further investigation is underway at Bhosari Police Station.

Police officials said such illegal operations can lead to major accidents, and strict action will be taken against those involved.