An assistant manager of TSRTC petrol pump, Hakimpet, Vandyala Vamshidhar Reddy, 30, was among eight persons arrested by the Cyberabad police on Thursday for tampering with fuel-dispensing machines at various petrol stations in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
Reddy along with other accused was found to be using electronic chips to manipulate the discharge of fuel in a manner that less fuel was dispensed than what was shown on the display and receipt. Reddy was hired by the contractor who took Hakimpet TSRTC pump on lease.
“They were causing loss of crores of rupees to consumers by delivering less fuel,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Balanagar zone) P.V. Padmaja said.
The Special Operations Team of Balanagar Zone led by DCP G. Sandeep got inputs about the installation of chips (ICs), which were programmed with manipulated software in petrol stations with the connivance of the station management and causing heavy loss to the customers. Apart from Hyderabad and surrounding areas, the gang had manipulated pumps in Kamareddy, Khammam, Wanaparthy, Suryapet, Siddipet, and other districts in Telangana.
The other arrested persons are MD Faizul Bari, 46, a mechanic from Jagathgirigutta, Kurade Sandeep, 38, from Alwal, MD Aslam, 29, from Chandrayangutta, Kalimera Narsinga Rao from Bhongir and petrol station owners/managers - Rangu Ramesh, 39, manager of IOC Hari Hara Bunk, Pudur, Beeravelli Maheshwar Rao, 49, a supervisor at GMR filling station, Mailardevpally, and Nagandla Venkatesh, 28, owner of two bunks at Jedimetla and Shamshabad.
According to Ms. Padmaja, the first four accused worked as petrol bunk pump mechanics for a long time at various bunks and got themselves familiar with the machines.
“Soon they became experts in the installation of manipulated chips in fuel-dispensing machines which delivers less petrol than the actual display and purchased the manipulated software from Jayesh of Surat in Gujarat and started programming the chips,” she said.
