Rajasthan’s elite SOG unit has unraveled a daring scheme to steal fuel from an IOCL pipeline, arresting four conspirators in Pali district. The plot, reported in August 2023, involved tampering with a high-pressure line carrying inflammable petroleum, averting what could have been a massive tragedy.
Jaipur SOG police station filed the FIR on August 5, 2023, following a complaint from IOCL’s Beawar manager Sher Singh Chauhan. The breach occurred in Ramgarh village, where intruders expertly welded a valve and flange to siphon products undetected.
The gravity of the case prompted DIG Paris Deshmukh to oversee investigations, with ASP Shyam Sundar Bishnoi spearheading the team. FSL inspections, call data analysis, and witness statements built a watertight case. Intelligence leads pinpointed the gang, leading to arrests and custody remands.
Key accused Jitendra Singh Rawat orchestrated the operation with Devendra Singh, Prem Singh, and Pratap Sher Singh. Short on skills, they hired Gujarat’s Pankaj Vaghela, an expert in pipeline sabotage, who executed the cut in a secluded farm using advanced equipment.
A hose from the valve fed into a tanker, but low pressure thwarted the theft. As they struggled to free the bogged-down vehicle, surface disturbances caught attention. IOCL patrols soon discovered the sabotage, scattering the group.
The quartet—Jitendra ‘Jitu Maharaja’ (31), Devendra (32), Pratap ‘Sheru’ (36), and Prem (48)—is now in custody. Prem has a rap sheet with five cases, two mirroring this fuel pilferage. With hunts for Vaghela intensifying, authorities warn of stricter measures against such threats to national assets.
This incident highlights vulnerabilities in pipeline security and the SOG’s prowess in countering them, ensuring public safety remains paramount.