Ahmedabad/Vadodara: In wake of the ongoing West Asia conflict, which has triggered concerns over global fuel supply chains and availability of LPG, authorities in Gujarat have stepped up vigilance against black marketeering and illegal handling of domestic gas cylinders. A series of recent cases in Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Bharuch highlight how such disruptions are increasingly linked to local-level violations involving LPG distribution and misuse.In Ahmedabad, Bodakdev police registered a case against a 50-year-old man for allegedly carrying out illegal refilling of domestic LPG cylinders in a public area in Thaltej, endangering lives and violating provisions of the Essential Commodities Act. The complaint was filed late on Monday evening by a head constable after a tip-off received during routine patrolling. Police said the inquiry was initiated amid heightened vigilance over possible black marketeering of essential commodities due to global supply concerns.A joint team of police and govt officials reached Bharwadvas in Thaltej around 5.15pm and found the accused near an autorickshaw with multiple cylinders. He was allegedly refilling smaller cylinders from larger ones using a metal pipe without any safety measures. Officials recovered seven domestic LPG cylinders, a weighing scale and delivery receipts. Several cylinders were found underweight, indicating gas siphoning. The accused allegedly admitted to selling gas from filled cylinders for personal gain. Police said the cylinders were meant for delivery to customers, but gas was being illegally extracted before distribution. All items, including cylinders, refilling tools and the autorickshaw, were seized.In Bharuch, a major irregularity has come to light in Jhagadia town, where 956 gas cylinders have gone missing from a Bharat Petroleum dealership. According to a complaint lodged with Jhagadia police, the owner of Nisarg Gas Agency, Digvijaysinh Valvi, reported a loss of over Rs 17.57 lakh due to the discrepancy. Valvi, a Surat resident, operates the agency dealing in domestic and commercial LPG cylinders. Police said the shortage was detected during a stock verification conducted at the godown on Monday. The audit revealed that 956 domestic cylinders, each weighing 14.2 kg, were missing.The agency’s warehouse keeper, Piyush Gamit was questioned regarding the shortfall. He told the owner that some cylinders were not returned by customers, while others had been sold by him.In Vadodara, the district supply department issued a notice to a gas agency in the Sama area after irregularities were found during a surprise inspection. Officials said the agency was bypassing the prescribed home delivery system by distributing cylinders directly from its godown while still charging delivery fees, amounting to overcharging and violation of rules. Legal action has been initiated under the Essential Commodities Act, and authorities said inspections will continue.In a separate case, Makarpura police in Vadodara booked a snack (farsan) shop owner for illegally storing and using LPG cylinders at his shop in the Maneja area. Acting on a tip-off, police seized 10 filled and 18 empty cylinders after the owner failed to produce valid purchase bills.
