Kengeri police book shopkeeper for hoarding and selling LPG cylinders in black market

The Kengeri police have registered a case against the owner of a shop for allegedly stocking LPG cylinders of various companies illegally and selling them at higher prices to customers.

According to police, the case has been registered at Kengeri Police Station under the Essential Commodities Act and along with provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.

The complaint was filed by Mahantagouda Tadlagi (40), a Food Inspector of Bengaluru South Taluk. In his complaint, he stated that around 3 p.m. on March 14, he received credible information that Mahalakshmi Enterprises, located at Mylasandra in Kengeri police limits, had illegally stocked LPG cylinders belonging to different companies and was creating an artificial shortage to sell them to customers at higher prices.

Acting on the tip-off, Mr. Tadlagi informed fellow food inspectors Basavaraju and M. Ramesh and approached the Kengeri police station. Later, along with PSI Eshwar Vannur and the police team, they conducted a raid at the shop around 4.30 p.m.

During the inspection, the team allegedly found that the shop owner had stored multiple LPG cylinders of different companies without authorisation. Police suspect that the cylinders were being stocked to create artificial scarcity and sell them to consumers at inflated prices.

Following the raid, the police registered a case against the owner of Mahalakshmi Enterprises and further investigation is being carried out.

Police said appropriate legal action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation.

City police have stepped up vigil on hoarding and illegal sale of LPG cylinders in and around the city.