What first seemed like a tragic road accident in Punjab has now led police to a major LPG theft racket.
Last week, a pick-up vehicle crashed into a large LPG tanker in Mandiala village on the Hoshiarpur–Jalandhar highway, causing a massive explosion and fire. The tanker driver, Sukhjeet Singh from Khanna, and six others lost their lives, while 21 people were injured.
As police investigated where the tanker was headed, they found it was on its way to the home of Sukhchain Singh, alias Sukha, in Ram Nagar Dheha. According to Hoshiarpur district police chief Sandeep Kumar Malik, Sukha was running an LPG siphoning operation with the help of tanker drivers.
Police raided Sukha’s property and found 10 LPG cylinders and pipes hidden inside a cattle shed. Three other men — Avtar Singh of Hoshiarpur and brothers Ramesh Kumar and Raj Kumar of Jalandhar — were also arrested. At a godown near Mandiala linked to the gang, officers recovered 40 more cylinders, nine empty oil drums, and pipes. Records showed Avtar Singh had multiple criminal cases against him since 1999.
Investigators revealed that the gang siphoned off four to five LPG cylinders from each tanker and sold them illegally. Tanker drivers were paid around ₹2,000 per cylinder. A case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Essential Commodities Act, and the LPG Supply and Control Order.
Meanwhile, Hoshiarpur deputy commissioner Aashika Jain announced a magisterial inquiry into the accident, with a report due within 15 days. A vigilance committee will also be formed to prevent such siphoning in the future. Vehicle regulation committees have been set up at the sub-divisional level to monitor the parking of heavy vehicles carrying hazardous materials.
The tragedy also sparked protests in Mandiala, where residents blocked the Hoshiarpur–Jalandhar road for two hours demanding higher compensation. They pointed out that families of victims in a recent hooch tragedy in Amritsar received ₹10 lakh each, while families of the blast victims were initially offered only ₹2 lakh.
Punjab minister Ravjot Singh later met the protestors and assured compensation of ₹10 lakh for families of the deceased, ₹5 lakh for the injured, and additional support for those who lost property in the fire.
