Bhayandar: The Mira Road and Bhayandar division of the Thane (rural) police has started tightening the screws on roadside stall owners using gas cylinders to cook illegally. It has impounded nearly two dozen Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders and registered cases under Section 285 of the IPC for negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible mat¬ter, against an equal number of offenders, in the past two months.
However, the offenders were seen back in business within a couple of days. “We have been frequently conducting raids in various parts of the twin-city, as the trend of cooking on stalls and carts is extremely dangerous. Innocent pedestrians can become victims if a cylinder explodes. Those providing these vendors with gas cylinders will also be taken to task,” said a senior police official.
While hundreds of handcarts and food vans cooking and selling food items are seen stationed at key locations across the twin-city, there have been instances across the state where innocent people have become victims of LPG gas cylinder explosions. Ironically, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) and the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) authorities have chosen to remain mute spectators to the brazen illegalities.