Pune police have registered a case against three people for allegedly extracting gas from filled domestic LPG cylinders and transferring it into empty cylinders for unauthorised sale in Mundhwa, creating a potential fire and explosion risk in a populated area.
The activity was detected near the Shiv Sena office in Mundhwa village, where the accused were allegedly operating an LPG refilling arrangement without permission. Police said gas was being transferred from full cylinders through a pipe into empty cylinders and then sold without the required authorisation.
The three people named in the case are Bhupendrapratap Sundar Singh, 38, a resident of Sainagar in Mundhwa Nagari; Mankaram Sukhram Siyak, 39, from Somanth Mala in Pathare Vasti, Chandan Nagar; and Mahendra Baburam Khichad, 19, from Kharadi.
According to police, they were found carrying out the refilling process after information about the activity was received at around 9.30 am on the 7th. The inspection found that the operation was not following the safety requirements applicable to handling LPG cylinders. Police said any gas leak during the transfer could have caused a fire or explosion, putting people living and working in the surrounding area at risk.
The case was registered at the Mundhwa police station on the complaint of police employee Ekta Baburao Salunke. The accused have been booked under Sections 125 and 287 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 3 and 7 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. Police Inspector Smita Wasnik is conducting the investigation.
Unlike authorised cylinder distribution, the alleged operation involved transferring LPG between cylinders outside a regulated distribution and safety system. The police account indicates that the activity combined unauthorised handling of a flammable household fuel with commercial sale, making the location a potential hazard for residents and passers-by.
Police said they are monitoring other parts of Pune for similar illegal refilling operations. Deputy Commissioner of Police Jeevan Beniwal said meetings would be held with gas distributors to issue necessary instructions. Police have also appealed to residents to inform them if they find LPG being refilled or sold through unauthorised methods.
The investigation by the Mundhwa police will determine the full circumstances of the alleged operation and the supply chain involved. Police action and the proposed meeting with gas distributors are the next steps announced in the case.
