CBI court sentences 'herbal fuel' man Ramar Pillai for 3 years

Ramar Pillai, who created a sensation with his 'herbal fuel,' was convicted by a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) court in Chennai. The court sentenced him to undergo three years imprisonment. Balasubramaniam, Ld. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Egmore in Chennai, has convicted Ramar Pillai, R Venudevi, S Chinnasamy, R Rajasegaran and S K Bharat and sentenced them to undergo 3 years rigorous imprisonment for each. All of them were also imposed a total fine of Rs 6000 each in a cheating case filed by the CBI.

During 1999-2000, Ramar Pillar colluded with other private persons to do illegal act by mixing Petroleum products like Toluene, Naphtha etc., and to market the same in the name of Ramar Petrol, or Ramar Tamildevi Mooligai Eriporul, as if it were extracted from herbs.

The same was fraudulently sold as Automobile fuel from herbs, which did not match the ISI standard. The said "Herbal fuel" was only a mixture of Petroleum Products which were prohibited under vide clause 3(V) of the Motor Sprit Speed Diesel (Regulation of Supply and Distribution and Prevention of Malpractices) Order, 1988.

The CBI siad that Ramar Pillai misrepresented the facts and sold the product to the public through various Sales Outlet Owners — who were also cheated by him as Pillai collected huge amounts as deposits and fuel costs. Thus, Ramar Pillai and his associates gained Rs 2.27 crore for themselves, by cheating public.

Hailing from a village near Rajapalayam in Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu, he shot into prominence in 1996 and conducted several demonstrations about his invention, including one before the Chief Minister, M Karunanidhi, and several before scientists. He recently announced that he had devised methods to use sea water as the basic raw material for his fuel, which he christened 'herbal hydrocarbon'. He began commercial production last year and the fuel was being sold at Rs 23 per litre.

Earlier, the CBI has said that 11 retail outlets in the city and outskirts and seized 10,500 litres of 'Ramar Petrol' and 1500 litres of additives, strongly suspected to be linear alkyl benzene.