VIJAYAWADA: After incidents of fuel station owners defrauding people by delivering less fuel using electronic chips in Hyderabad came to light during the joint raids carried out by Cyberabad police and Legal Metrology department sleuths, the State Legal Metrology department started raids at fuel stations across Andhra Pradesh on Saturday. The raids will continue in the next few days.
According to Telangana police, as many as 11 fuel stations in Telangana and 22 in Andhra Pradesh were seized after they were found to be using electronic chips to cheat the public and cases were filed against owners and persons concerned under relevant sections.
When contacted, M Kantha Rao, Controller, Legal Metrology Department, said the main accused, Shaik Subhani Basha alias Basha, is a resident of West Godavari district. He worked as a fuel station pump mechanic for more than 10 years and became an expert in the field. Later, he manipulated chips in the fuel dispensing machines, which help deliver less fuel than the actual display onboard/meter.
He then decided to market his ‘technology’ for quick bucks and started installing programmed chips in the display board in different fuel stations in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana with the help of his associates.
“He used to collect Rs 80,000 to Rs 1.2 lakh for each programmed chip installation from the fuel station owner.
This is a different modus operandi. We informed the engineering lapses to the fuel dispensing machine manufacturing companies and the Central Legal Metrology department officials for further action,” Kantha Rao said. He also instructed metrology officials of all the districts to prepare an action plan to inspect all the fuel stations. The accused installed chips in 11 fuel stations in West Godavari, four in East Godavari and one each in Guntur, Prakasam, Chittoor and Vizag.
Modus operandi