Ghaziabad: Men steal fuel from petrol pump near Delhi-Meerut Expressway

Three armed men struck a petrol pump near the Delhi-Meerut Expressway at 1.30am on Friday and stole petrol and diesel fuel worth ₹30,000, police said. The men took the fuel away in plastic cans they had brought in their car.

Ajay Bansal, the petrol pump owner, did not respond to calls seeking a comment.

“The armed robbers arrived in a car, switched on the petrol filling machines, and filled up plastic cans with petrol and diesel. They injured an on-duty staff member who had joined the job earlier that day. They searched for the cash locker but when they couldn’t find it, they stole cash from the staff employee — the amount is being ascertained,” said Vipin Sharma, president of the Zila Ghaziabad Petrol Diesel Association.

After the robbers left, the injured employee told the supervisor, who was unable to contact Bansal because the latter’s phone was switched off. The supervisor informed Bansal at 7am and then the police, said Sharma.

After an initial investigation, police said that diesel worth ₹25,000 and petrol worth ₹5,000 was stolen.

“CCTV footage of the incident shows two masked men. The car in which they came was partially visible in the footage. The two had brought plastic cans which they filled up with fuel. Later one of the men went inside a room where a staff member was present and assaulted him. When the men suspected that they were recorded by CCTV cameras, they fled with what they thought was DVR automation equipment,” said Siddharth Gautam, assistant commissioner of police of Masrui/Muradnagar circle.

Based on a complaint of armed robbery from Bansal, police registered a first information report under sections of robbery.

“The complaint did not disclose the amount of cash taken away. However, we are investigating, and several teams have been roped in to trace the suspects. More CCTVs on the route are being scanned,” ACP Gautam added.