Raids on oil mafia continue in Maharashtra

Mumbai: The raids on the oil mafia in Maharashtra, triggered by the murder of Additional Collector Yashwant Sonawane, continued through the night. In fact the raids are still on in the Kurla area of Mumbai and in Akola district.

Nearly 200 people have been taken into custody so far and close to 1250 litres of oil has been seized.

The government launched a crackdown on adulteration dens around kerosene depots across Maharashtra after mass protests against the killing of Yashwant Sonawane.

The crackdown came on a day the Union Oil Minister announced policy shifts to rein in the oil adulteration racket that, according to estimates, is pegged at Rs. 10,000 crore.

Exclusive visuals with NDTV reveal how the racket unfolds on the ground. Kerosene is pilfered from tankers, adulterated with a cheaper fuel and then stored in drums meant for the black market.

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"The oil company and the government should check how keys of the locks that are used for the tankers are available everywhere. Outside the depot, every transporter has a key," Nitin Dhatrak, President, Nashik Petrol Dealers' Association.

The oil companies store kerosene for supply to the government ration shops. It's this kerosene that is stolen and then sold to the poor at a hefty premium as ration shops are always in short supply of kerosene.

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"The bigger thing is the difference between the kerosene prices we give through the PDS and the cost when it is adulterated with diesel. The difference is so huge," Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said.

Jolted by the media outcry, the Centre has planned to reintroduce the marker system - a hidden chemical in kerosene that shows up if the oil is adulterated. The government also plans to seek the help of GPS to check route deviation by the trucks.

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The Opposition BJP has alleged that the adulteration mafia operates with political support. It claims Maharashtra's ministers took Rs 25 crore to allow furnace oil to be transported without checks a day before Sonawane's death.

"Concerned ministers and departments are involved. Even a Union Minister is involved," BJP leader Vinod Tawde said.

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The government has said that it's too early to confirm a political nexus, but given how deeply the mafia is entrenched the questions are not going to stop.