22 LPG cylinders seized in Bareilly raid amid black marketing complaints

Bareilly: A total of 22 domestic LPG cylinders were seized by a joint team of Bareilly district administration and police during a raid at a distribution shop in Jafarpur village under Mirganj tehsil on Sunday, following complaints of black marketing amid an ongoing LPG supply shortage.Acting on a tip-off that domestic cylinders were being stored illegally and sold at prices higher than the govt-fixed rate, officials from the supply department, led by supply inspector Ravi Kumar Saxena, carried out the raid with Shishgarh police. Mirganj SDM Alok Kumar said strict action will continue against black marketing and illegal hoarding of essential commodities to prevent inconvenience to the public. Bareilly SSP Anurag Arya said, "Twenty-two cylinders — including three filled and 19 empty — were recovered from the premises. The cylinders had been stockpiled unlawfully and were being sold secretly to customers in violation of gas distribution norms." Police said an FIR under sections 3 and 7 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, was being registered against unidentified persons and an investigation was underway.