Dimapur, October 2 : The Dimapur police has issued a statement to clarify details of investigations—besides responding to allegations from community organizations—surrounding the ‘fuel adulteration case’ as being investigated by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).
The press release was issued on Sunday.
On June, 2016, the police said, members of the ACAUT (Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation) reported to the district authorities fuel-adulteration operations in six ‘sites.’ Accordingly, the places were raided and huge quantities of hydrocarbon were seized; they were found ‘illegally stored’ and allegedly used in adulterating fuel. The cache and the premises were sealed for investigation, the police said, and complaints were lodged at West- and Diphupar police station.
On July 2, the police stated, the investigators visited the sites to draw samples of the hydrocarbon “when it was observed that in two of the sites, seals were found breached and some quantities of Hydro Carbons (sic) had been drawn discreetly in an effort to destroy evidences.”
A third complaint was registered at West Police Station and five persons were arrested in connection to the incident, the police said. “The arrested persons were remanded to the police custody till the furthest period. It was also observed that the seizure memo was drawn assessing the quantities of hydrocarbons based on the storage capacities of the containers, acoustic response elicited after banging on the tankers and not as per the quantities actually present,” the Dimapur police said.
“The officer who was responsible for the seizure and sealing of the site in question has been subjected to departmental enquiry. The concerned duty personnel placed on guard of the sites were also taken to task for dereliction of duties,” the statement stated.
In connection to the case at Diphupar police station, the police stated that ‘re-assessment of the seized items’ was “necessitated owning to the non-quantified seizure list made initially.” It was conducted with the court’s permission and “carried out in the presence of a magistrate observing all due legal procedure.”
The “re-drawn seizure memo” was submitted to the court and “the same has been taken into cognizance,” the police said. “The release of the eight (08) empty oil tankers has been done in compliance of the orders of the court.”
Also, at least six petitions were filed at different dates against ‘different accused persons’ in the court by the SIT to cancel their anticipatory bails.
‘However, it may be reminded that these matters are the discretion of the court. The demands for the “re-arrest” of the accused persons are not permissible unless the court cancels the bails granted,” the police said.
Also, it was informed that 73 samples collected from the sealed sites were dispatched ‘to the forensic science labs’; the reports ‘of few have been received’, the police said.
The police stated further that the SIT has also ‘traced the SK Oil found in these sites’ to “certain agencies located across the state and necessary investigation on the matter is still underway.”
As for the ‘origin’ of the solvents that were allegedly used for fuel adulteration, they have been traced to “various petro chemical firms within and outside the state. Investigation on the matter is still underway.”
The police said that 16 persons have been arrested by the SIT in connection to the cases. “Interrogations of all individuals connected to the case are being continued,” the police said.
The police have appealed to citizens to cooperate and refrain from making “unilateral conclusions while the matter is still under investigation.”
