Bombay High Court denies anticipatory bail to man booked for stealing 13,000 liters of petrol

Noting that theft of petroleum-based fuels adversely affects the country’s economy, the Bombay High Court recently refused to grant pre-arrest bail to a man charged with stealing 13,000 liters of petrol worth Rs 13.90 lakh.

Sole judge Justice Rajesh Laddha held that the plaintiff Mohd. Ahmed Shafique Khan, a businessman, was the mastermind of the crime in question.

“Theft of petroleum-based fuels has a negative impact on a country’s economy, contributing to higher fuel prices, lower tax revenues and illegal trade. The applicant appears to be the focus of the crime and his custody is said to be necessary to uncover the illicit network of illegal fuel trade,” Justice Laddha said in the order passed on November 18.

The bench noted that accused Khan orchestrated the crime by hiring a tanker and tapping the pipeline of Indian Oil Tanking Limited at Nhava Sheva port. The judge noted that the plaintiff, a businessman who was involved in fish farming, used a motor pump to transfer the petrol from the pipeline to his own tanker.

“This stolen fuel was then sold unauthorized at a concessional rate to the tank owner and others. Despite the applicant’s absence from the scene, he appears to have monitored the theft from a distance. The material on record prima facie indicates that the complainant actively participated. in the crime and benefited from the crime”, said the judge.

With these observations, the court dismissed the anticipatory bail application.

Appearance:

Advocate Sandeep Waghmare appeared for the applicant.

Additional Public Prosecutor Amit Palkar represented the state.

Case Title: Mohd. Ahmed Shafique Khan vs State of Maharashtra (Anticipatory Bail Application 3087 of 2024)

Click here to read/download the order