Rawanvadi police have busted an interstate gang involved in deceiving traders and stealing oil. After months of investigation, they have arrested seven members connected to the crimes.

Senior PI Purushottam Aherkar of Rawanvadi police station reported that Gurmeet Singh Masasingh Bhullar, a 36-year-old resident of Dilaram in Punjab's Ferozpur district and current resident of Rawanwadi, owns Parijaat Oil Mill in Arjuni village. On January 11, 2024, Bhullar complained about a missing shipment of 322.7 quintals of crude oil, worth Rs 23,71,845, sent to Gupta Solvent Private Ltd. in Murena, Madhya Pradesh. The oil was transported via an oil tanker (GJ-12/AZ-2295) from Rahul Tanker Service in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, driven by Sunil Kumar Bramhan and Mishra. However, the tanker never reached its destination, and instead, the culprits conspired to steal the oil.

Through an investigation with digital evidence and call records, the police tracked the suspects to Gujarat. They arrested Lucky Rajsingh Dharmendra Singh Jadeja (36) from Varsamedi village in Anjar tehsil, Rajesh Ashok Bhai Limbachiya (28) from Gandhidham, Mahendra Kumar Makwana (43) from Kamalpur in Radhanpur tehsil of Patan district, Kalyan Tatarao Saurabh (28) from Adipur in Kutch, Sanjay Hajarilal Mawar (36) from Shantidham, Mukesh Vitthalbhai Chauvatiya (47) from Anjar tehsil, and Madhubai Bhikhabhai Chauvatiya (60) from Junagarh.

The investigation revealed that the accused conspired with the tanker driver, forged driving licenses and tanker documents, changed the number plate, and diverted the tanker to Gujarat, where they sold the oil to Madhubai Chauvatiya. The police seized the tanker, valued at Rs 30 lakh, 26,115 kilograms of rice bran crude oil worth Rs 20,90,000, and Rs 20,500 in cash.

The gang was found to be habitual offenders, using the same methods to dupe traders across Betul in Madhya Pradesh, Banaskatha district in Gujarat, and Tonk in Rajasthan. They have been charged under Sections 407, 465, 468, 420, 120 (B), and 34 of the IPC. The accused have been granted 15 days' police custody remand (PCR) for further investigation.

The operation was conducted under the guidance of SP Nikhil Pingale and SDPO Rohini Baankar, led by PI Aherkar and included API Sunil Ambhure and police constables Sanjay Chauhan, Pankaj Sawalakhe, Sushil Mallewar, and others.