Explained: How petrol pumps in UP were using electronic chips to steal fuel

By installing the 'wonder chip' the owners of the petrol pumps were earning profits up to Rs 14 lakh every month

By: News Desk |
April 29, 2017 2:17 pm

In what may come as a shock to vehicle owners in Lucknow, a Special Task Force (STF) in Uttar Pradesh busted the racket of petrol pump owners who were cheating customers by putting an electronic chip in their machines which were dispensing less fuel than the amount being charged by the customers.

UP STF has registered FIRs against seven petrol pump in the state and arrested 23 people. A member of the STF said, “The remote control is used to set the limit. If a customer takes 1-litre petrol from any station, in reality, he receives only 940 ml if the dispensing machine is fitted with this chip. So, 60 ml goes into the account of the pump owner”.

By installing the electronic chip or ‘wonder chip’ the price of which is around Rs 3, 000, the owners of the petrol pumps were earning the profits up to Rs 14 lakh every month.

Lucknow: UP STF registered FIRs against seven petrol pumps and arrested 23 people. 15 electronic chips & 29 remote controls recovered. pic.twitter.com/JsLrI87dq4

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 28, 2017

According to a report in The Times of India, the ASP (STF) Arvind Chaturvedi said that this matter came to light when on a tip-off the STF came to know about an electrician in Lucknow, Ravinder. The chip made by him when installed dispenses less fuel. “The chip is attached with a wire which is linked with a remote control” added Chaturvedi.

Reportedly, Ravindra told the STF that he has sold this ‘wonder chip’ to as many as 1000 petrol pump owners in the state. Senior superintendent of the STF, Amit Pathak said, “While initial probe suggests that the “wonder chip” is already installed at around 80% of fuel filling stations in UP, the figure could further go up as the probe progresses and more facts tumble out”.