Police arrest two NOC employees

BHAIRAHAWA, MAY 05 - Police on Sunday arrested two officers of Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) assigned at Bhalwari Depot in connection with a recent case of petroleum theft.

The arrestees are Rabindra Kumar Raut and Dipendra Basnyat, who were assigned at the depot to check the quality and quantity of oil in tankers.

Superintendent of Police Bikram Singh Thapa said they arrested the duo after the drivers and helpers of the tankers, from which the petroleum products were stolen, named them during interrogation. “The duo was responsible for checking whether the seal of the tanker was broken,” said Singh. “A further investigation will be carried out.”

The arrested tanker drivers and helpers had told the police that NOC employees were also involved in the petroleum theft. Based on the statement, the police recently issued arrest warrants against 16 tanker owners. The police said they have launched a manhunt to track down the tanker owners.

The arrest warrants were issued against Chop Narayan Shrestha, Hari Bahadur Kunwar, Rakesh Kumar Kashaudhan, Balkrishna Gaire, Prem Raj Gaire, Pashupatinath Kashaudhan, Daya Shankar Prasad Kashaudhan, Lappu Chaudhary, Bikash Chhetri, Binod Upreti, Ram Chandra Adhikari, Shrawan Kumar Shrestha, Rudra Sharma, Priti Jaiswal, Pinky Kalwar Jaiswal and Pappu Kumar Kashaudhan, according to the police.

Among the accused, Chop Narayan is associated with the FNCCI, while Hari Bahadur, Rakesh Kumar and Balkrishna are associated with Pashchimanchal Tankers Entrepreneurs Association.

Earlier, a joint team of National Vigilance Centre and Rupandehi Police had raided two petrol pumps and two godowns in Padsari and Madauliya where they found 19 tankers taking out diesel deceitfully. The consignments that were imported from Sunauli were bound for Valwari Depot. The police also confiscated 17,000 letres of diesel.

NOC has said it has terminated agreements with the tankers and has formed a three-member investigation committee led by Bishal Ojha to look into the matter.

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority has also started an investigation into NOC officials suspecting their involvement in the case.