Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force struck a decisive blow against an inter-state gang peddling adulterated petrol and diesel, arresting two operatives and seizing over 8,000 liters of substandard fuel. The raid unfolded on the evening of February 9 in Mainpuri’s Kurawali area, specifically Salempur village, exposing a web of deceit involving sham companies and bogus fuel stations.
Identified as Radhe Shyam from Firozabad and Ankit Yadav from Mainpuri, the arrested men were in possession of fake identity documents, cash, and forged paperwork designed to mimic official oil company approvals for new pumps. Items seized included mobiles, counterfeit Aadhaar and PAN cards, a debit card, and phony LOIs.
Raids at two sites yielded massive hauls: 4,000 liters adulterated petrol and 1,000 liters diesel from Avagadh Pump in Salempur, plus 3,000 liters bad diesel from IBP station in Chandai Kurawali. The illicit IBP outlet was promptly sealed.
Digging deeper, STF uncovered Radhe Shyam’s fraudulent empire. Starting in 2018 with a ghost company in Delhi, he expanded to a fake refinery outfit, fleecing victims by selling fictitious licenses for petrol pumps in multiple UP districts. More than 12 fraudulent stations trace back to his schemes.
Yadav admitted operating his biodiesel pump without permits since 2020, mixing cheap chemicals into fuel procured from shady firms in western UP and Haryana. The operation caused enormous losses to state coffers and wreaked havoc on rural vehicles, compromising engine life and road safety.
Legal action is underway with FIRs under BNS and Essential Commodities Act at Kurawali station. As probes intensify, this case highlights systemic vulnerabilities in fuel distribution and the urgent need for stricter oversight to protect consumers from such criminal enterprises.