A fuel theft case has been reported in Udupi district of which three unidentified youths escaped from a petrol station without paying for diesel worth ₹4,711. The incident happened at an Indian Oil filling station in Subhash Nagar, Shankarpura, and local police are investigating.
According to the fuel station staff, a white Ford EcoSport SUV arrived at the building with three young men inside. The occupants asked for the vehicle's fuel tank to be filled with diesel, and the station workers refilled the vehicle, and the total fuel bill reached ₹4,711.
The staff reported that after refuelling, the occupants instructed the staff to prepare the bill, so that they felt they were ready to pay the payment. But before the transaction was complete, the driver suddenly accelerated the vehicle and took off from the station without paying any money. The employees could not stop and record the registration number of the car quickly.
The petrol station staff later observed CCTV footage from the premises in an attempt to identify the vehicle and its occupants. Despite the white Ford EcoSport entering and leaving the station, the registration number could not be seen in the footage. The SUV had tinted glass, and so it was difficult to see the occupants and vehicle details, they said.
The employees who spoke to the three youths indicated that they spoke fluent Tulu when they visited the station. They could claim to be from Kumta, but staff members now believe that this information was false and may have been given to them to mislead them about their identity and place of origin.
Workers also observed beer bottles and packets of chips in the car. Based on their behaviour and observations, the staff believe the occupants may have drunk alcohol before visiting the fuel station, although this has not been officially confirmed.
The incident has caused fuel station operators in the region to be worried, as it is usually a loss-making transaction and a headache to run, they say. During a transaction at fuel stations, people tend to trust companies more with their customers, so it gets hard for them to prevent fraud, fuel station staff say.
The petrol station management filed a formal complaint with the Shirva Police Station after the incident. Police have received the complaint and have opened an investigation into the matter. The CCTV footage and even other surveillance systems from the nearby roads and institutions have been examined to locate the car.
Police are hoping that video from nearby locations will help to identify the vehicle and the suspects. Police are also asking the public to provide any information that can aid in the identification of the suspects.
The case underscores the need to beef up security at fuel stations with better surveillance and payment verification systems. We now know that technological support and public cooperation will help in the investigation of the fuel theft, and we will not let it be a secret, the police said.
