MUMBAI: An FIR has been registered against the manager of a gas distribution agency after he was found to be involved in the misappropriation of over 5800 gas cylinders worth Rs 90 lakh. Bangur Nagar Police are investigating the case further.
Complaint and Background
The FIR was lodged based on a complaint by the gas agency owner. According to the complaint, the agency is based in Goregaon and has a godown in an empty space near Malad Back Road where cylinders are stored before distribution.
The accused, Kishan Ram, was hired as the manager of this godown. A native of Rajasthan, Ram had been working at the gas agency since August 2022.
Types of Cylinders and Operations
The godown houses three types of gas cylinders: 5 kg commercial cylinders, 19 kg commercial cylinders, and 14 kg domestic cylinders, for distribution. Deliverymen were appointed to carry cylinders from the godown for distribution and bring back empty cylinders to the premises. Ram was responsible for keeping records of how many cylinders were taken for distribution and how many empty ones were returned.
Restrictions and Discrepancies
When the Iran war started, the state government issued restrictions on the distribution of gas cylinders. A public sector oil and gas company, for whom the complainant acts as a distributor, issued similar restrictions. The company also gave strict instructions that records be kept on the distribution of cylinders and that empty cylinders be returned to them immediately.
The complainant conveyed these instructions to Ram. However, when he inquired with Ram a few days later about how many empty cylinders had been returned to the oil and gas company, Ram gave evasive responses.
Examination of Records
The complainant then decided to examine the godown's records himself. He found that empty cylinders were not being returned to the oil and gas company. When Ram was told about the discrepancies in the records, he offered to make a settlement.
An examination of the godown's records showed that 4543 commercial cylinders (5 kg) worth Rs 43.43 lakh and 1294 commercial cylinders (19 kg) worth Rs 46.58 lakh were untraceable.
Resignation and Police Complaint
On June 1, Ram quit the job and switched off his phone. The complainant eventually approached the Bangur Nagar Police and registered a complaint of misappropriation of cylinders worth Rs 90 lakh.
