Pune: Domestic Gas Black Marketing Racket Busted in Hinjawadi; Five Arrested

Hinjawadi, 11th July 2025: In a major crackdown on illegal gas trading, Hinjawadi police arrested five individuals involved in black marketing by transferring domestic LPG gas into commercial cylinders and selling them at inflated prices. The operation was carried out near the Spinny showroom in Hinjawadi’s Phase 1 on Wednesday.

The arrested accused have been identified as Dharmapal Bishnoi (23, Hinjawadi), Ashok Suryavanshi (32, Pimple Saudagar), Ashok Khilari (24, Hinjawadi), Balu Hajare (25, Marunji), and Omprakash Billeri (45, Hinjawadi). The complaint was filed by Vijay Nalge from the Anti-Extortion Cell at the Hinjawadi Police Station on Thursday.

According to police reports, the accused were caught in the act of dangerously transferring gas from domestic to commercial cylinders. Since commercial cylinders are more expensive than domestic ones, the accused were selling them at higher rates in the black market. Acting on a tip-off, the police raided the location and seized illegal stock worth Rs 20,25,500.

The Hinjawadi police are currently investigating the case further.