- LPG cylinder hoarding case in Madurai leads to arrests
- Officials warn against black marketing and panic buying fuel
Hyderabad: LPG cylinder hoarding in Madurai has led to the arrest of two persons who allegedly stored 398 LPG cylinders for black marketing. Police said the accused were detained under the Goondas Act, marking the first time such strict action has been taken in Tamil Nadu for cylinder hoarding.
Authorities said the arrests followed a tip off received by the Civil Supplies Criminal Investigation Department regarding the illegal diversion of subsidised domestic LPG cylinders for commercial use. Officials launched a probe after receiving information about the alleged hoarding.
Raids reveal large stock of domestic and commercial cylinders
Acting on the information, a special team from the Civil Supplies Criminal Investigation Department conducted a raid in the Kovilpappakudi area of Madurai. The team searched an open plot located near the residence of a person identified as Palani.
During the raid, officials seized 100 subsidised domestic LPG cylinders and 109 commercial cylinders from the location. The discovery prompted further investigation into the suspected hoarding activity.
Later, officials carried out another raid at the residence of Madan Kumar, aged 27, in Anandam Nagar. During the operation, authorities recovered an additional 189 cylinders from the premises.
Among the cylinders seized in the second raid were 63 domestic units and 126 commercial cylinders. Officials said the cylinders were allegedly stored for black marketing.
Strict action under Essential Commodities Act and Goondas Act
A senior official confirmed that authorities booked both accused under the Essential Commodities Act. Later, the Madurai District Collector Praveen Kumar ordered their detention under the Prevention of Black Marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act.
The law is commonly known as the Goondas Act. Officials said the step was taken considering the scale of the alleged LPG cylinder hoarding.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Petroleum Dealers’ Association urged people not to panic buy fuel. The association said there was sufficient stock of petrol and diesel across the state.
According to the association, 14 fuel terminals in Tamil Nadu currently hold enough supply to replenish more than 7,000 retail outlets based on demand. Therefore, officials asked consumers to avoid unnecessary panic purchases.
The Civil Supplies Criminal Investigation Department in the Madurai zone also issued a warning. Authorities said strict legal action will be taken against anyone involved in illegal hoarding of essential commodities.
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