Police on Tuesday detected that petroleum products were being pilfered from a pipeline at a village near Belthangady and arrested two persons in this connection.
Additional Superintendent of Police R. Ramesh told presspersons here on Wednesday that petroleum products were being pilfered from a pipeline of Petronet Mangalore Hassan Bangalore Ltd. that passed through an estate near Farenki village.
The arrested were identified as Cyril D'Mello (23) of Moodushedde, and Rajesh Sequeira (23) of Kabale near Hosnagara in Shimoga district.
Harish, Srikantha Poojary and Sunil Shetty, who were with the accused during the police raid, managed to escape.
Mr. Ramesh said that Shetty had a contract with Indian Oil Corporation for transporting petroleum products to petrol stations by road. Shetty and Poojary were arrested earlier in connection with a case of theft of petroleum products and had been released on bail, he said.
The police will now appeal to the court to cancel their bail. Also, the police would write to the IOC seeking cancellation of Shetty's contract, Mr. Ramesh said.
Seized
The police seized an oil tanker, a car and other material, together worth worth Rs. 15 lakh, from the spot. Belthangady police have registered a case.
The police had some time ago found that a petrol station on Kodagu was selling stolen petroleum products. The police later got the licence of the station cancelled, Mr. Ramesh added.
