Bhilwara: An alleged attempt to siphon fuel by tapping an underground pipeline of the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) was detected in Tonk district’s Pachewar police station area, prompting a joint investigation by police and IOCL officials.Malpura DSP Ashish Prajapat said IOCL engineers, using technical monitoring, detected an abnormal fuel loss in the pipeline on June 1. Acting on the alert, a team inspected the stretch Thursday evening and found signs of recent excavation in a field.During excavation, officials discovered an illegally installed valve on the underground pipeline along with a 40ft pipe allegedly laid to siphon fuel. It is yet to be ascertained whether any fuel was actually stolen, police said.Senior IOCL officials, along with the Malpura ASP and DSP, inspected the site. The owner of the field, Harji Lal Berwa, was questioned but claimed he was unaware of the illegal installation.Police have registered a case against unidentified persons on the complaint of IOCL officials and launched a search for those involved. Investigators are examining when the pipeline was tampered with, how the illegal connection was installed, and whether an organised fuel theft racket was behind the attempt.
