The Madras high court has declined to grant anticipatory bail to a person who was involved in large-scale transfer of subsidised domestic LPG for commercial use.
Declining to entertain the advance bail petition of Palanisamy, Justice S Vaidyanathan, in his order, said Manikandan, Palanisamy's employee, has voluntarily confessed that he transferred subsidised domestic LPG cylinders to commercial cylinders only on instructions from Palanisamy, and that 'case property' has been seized by police.
"This court is not inclined to grant the relief sought by Palanisamy," the judge said.
Palanisamy by using a local instrument in unsafe work conditions and endangering the safety of entire neighbourhood at Paraivattam in Vedukathampatti village in Salem district was transferring domestic LPG for commercial purposes, according to police.
Police on information raided a house at Lakshmi Nagar, Panangkadu in Andipatti village where 37 domestic LPG cylinders were seized.
Palanisamy had engaged daily wager Manikandan for gas transfer works.
According to police, Manikandan was securing several hundred domestic LPG Cylinders from various gas agencies and was transferring the gas to commercial Cylinders to get higher price.
Several gas agencies had complained with regarding to missing of LPG cylinders that were kept outside the agencies to deliver to houses. Some were later found fully or partly empty by police who unearthed the racket.
Manikandan told police that he used to receive government subsidized LPG domestic cylinders from three delivery persons of different gas agencies, and return empty domestic LPG cylinders. Police seized cylinders, transfer machine and weighing machines.
On Manikandan's 'confession', police arrested Palanisamy.
