SOG cracks illegal gas refilling racket in Sarkhej, 241 Cylinders Seized

The Special Operations Group (SOG) of Ahmedabad City Police on Friday busted an illegal gas refilling racket operating out of Sarkhej, seizing 241 domestic and commercial gas cylinders along with other materials worth over ₹5.3 lakh.

According to the police, the accused were illegally siphoning gas from domestic cylinders provided under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana into commercial gas cylinders, and selling them at inflated rates in the black market, without possessing the requisite government licence or safety clearance.

The crackdown followed a tip-off received, and a team of SOG Police raided a godown located in an open plot on the Sanathal Toll Road off SG Highway in Sarkhej.

At the site, police found large quantities of gas cylinders—both filled and empty—stacked inside a blue-coloured paper godown. The two accused, identified as Rajesh Natvarbhai Parmar of Behrampura and Harjibhai Shankarbhai Parmar of Narol, were allegedly operating the facility without any official authorisation.

Police said a total of 241 gas cylinders belonging to various companies, valued at ₹2.32lakh, along with equipment used for illegal refilling worth ₹2.98lakh, were recovered from the spot. The accused reportedly sourced subsidised domestic LPG cylinders from the open market, extracted the gas, and refilled them into commercial-grade cylinders, endangering public safety in the process.

The duo has been booked under Section of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (negligent conduct concerning explosive substances) and Section of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. The FIR has been lodged at the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) Police Station regarding the matter. 

Speaking to Gujarat Samachar Digital, a senior officer from SOG said, “This operation was carried out with precision and speed, considering the highly hazardous nature of the material involved. We are further investigating the supply chain and whether more individuals are involved.” The investigation is ongoing.