BHUBANESWAR: Gangster Syed Usman Ali alias Tito’s arrest took a political twist on Wednesday with Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) requesting the CBI to probe allotment of two petrol pumps in Kendrapara and Paradip Port Trust. The petrol pumps in the name of Sayeed Brothers Filing station at Kendrapara and an ad hoc dealership of Company-Owned- Company-Operated (COCO) retail outlet at Paradip have been allotted to relatives of the gangster which came up during investigation by Special Task Force (STF) of the Crime Branch.
The Chief General Manager of IOCL Pritish Bharat, in an official release, stated the petrol pumps were commissioned in violation of the guidelines. After irregularities were detected, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas sought a report on the matter. After Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan advised IOCL to refer the matter to CBI for a thorough investigation, the oil PSU took it forward, the release said.
Tito was arrested by the STF on June 30. It was during interrogation of the gangster’s wife Benazir Biwi in her Dilarpur house that details of the ill-gotten wealth by Tito came to light. After STF learnt about the petrol pumps, there was excitement in the ruling Biju Janata Dal camp as it was seen as an opportunity to drag BJP into the case since Pradhan heads PNG Ministry. Sources said, it had started with an allegation that a local saffron leader had played a role in helping the petrol pumps allotted in the names of the kin of the gangster.
However, by advising a CBI inquiry into allotment of petrol pumps, the Union Minister has clearly turned the tables o n t h e r u l i n g dispensation. The probe though could leave IOCL in troubled waters because the PSU cannot absolve itself of the responsibility in the allotment process which requires multi-layered scrutiny. On the other hand, the Kendrapara district administration will be under scanner because establishment of petrol pumps requires several clearances which could not have come without the knowledge of the officials. Role of BJD’s Kendrapara leaders will also be closely watched as the issue could turn out to be a game of political mudslinging.