Rupandehi, September 16
Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has taken action against a fuel station, three oil tankers and their drivers and helpers after diesel was allegedly stolen from tankers before they reached the corporation’s Bhalbari depot in Rupandehi.
The incident came to light after police caught people allegedly extracting diesel from tankers inside the premises of Saraf Oil Stores in Bhairahawa.
The tankers were carrying diesel from NOC’s Madhesh Provincial Office in Amlekhgunj to its Lumbini Provincial Office in Bhalbari.
NOC has fined Saraf Oil Stores Rs 100,000 and suspended its sales, distribution and supply operations for six months under Regulations 29 and 33 of the Sellers Regulation 2018, as amended, for unauthorised purchase and sale of fuel.
The corporation has also suspended the three tankers involved — Lu 2 Kha 1544, Lu 1 Kha 6504 and Lu 1 Kha 66190 — for three months under Regulations 17 and 17(Gha) of the Transportation Regulation 2073.
The drivers and helpers of the three oil tankers have been permanently barred from entering any NOC depot or office. They have also been prohibited from driving tankers operating under NOC contracts.
According to NOC, the three oil tankers — Lu 1 Kha 6504 operated by Poudel Transport, Lu 2 Kha 1544 operated by BNS Transport Service and Lu 1 Kha 66190 operated by Trimurti Transport Pvt Ltd — entered the compound of Saraf Oil Stores before reaching Bhalbari and began extracting diesel.
A team from the Lumbini Province Police caught Lu 1 Kha 6504 and Lu 2 Kha 1544 while the alleged theft was taking place. NOC said the tankers’ mechanical security locking systems had been tampered with using a vehicle jack.
The third oil tanker, Lu 1 Kha 66190, was taken under control after it had already left the premises after allegedly extracting diesel.
Following the incident, police informed NOC, and a joint team of corporation officials and police inspected the fuel station.
The inspection found the manhole covers of all three oil tankers open, with around 30 litres of diesel from each tanker allegedly removed and stored in blue drums, according to NOC.
Saraf Oil Stores was subsequently sealed in the presence of police and NOC officials.
NOC has also filed a complaint with the District Police Office, Rupandehi, against the three oil tankers, their drivers and helpers, and the fuel station operator for further investigation and legal action.
NOC said it had previously received complaints of petroleum products being stolen through alleged collusion between tanker operators and petrol station owners.
Local residents have also alleged that the fuel station had constructed a gate designed to block tankers inside its premises and that fuel theft had been taking place there regularly.
NOC has a system of special seals and locking mechanisms on tankers transporting petroleum products to prevent theft and unauthorised sales during transportation. The seals can only be opened at designated loading and unloading points.
Tankers loaded at Amlekhgunj are required to reach the Bhalbari depot, where the quality and quantity of the fuel are checked before it is supplied to the concerned petrol stations.
Previous fuel theft case
Rupandehi has previously seen cases involving alleged theft and black-market trading of petroleum products.
In 2014, a case was filed against 18 people, including then-regional chief of NOC’s Bhalbari depot Nagendra Kumar Kurmi, over alleged fuel theft and black-market trading in Padasari and Madhawaliya.
Police had arrested Kurmi, transport operators, drivers and helpers after allegedly catching them stealing fuel from oil tankers on April 16, 2014.
They were accused of stealing and storing fuel in underground pits while transporting it from India’s Betalpur depot to NOC’s then-Western Regional Depot.
However, in 2016, District Judge Muraribabu Shrestha acquitted all the defendants, citing insufficient evidence.
NOC had also investigated 19 oil tankers operated by eight owners after finding alleged organised fuel theft and diversion involving tankers operating under its Bhalbari office. Those involved were also acquitted in the related customs and fuel leakage cases.
