2 VMC drivers held as police unearth diesel pilferage racket

The North Zone police arrested two drivers of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) and six others, who were allegedly purchasing diesel from the drivers.

They seized 210 litres of diesel, worth about ₹14,000, from them, said Additional DCP Shaik Nawab Jaan, at a press conference here on Sunday.

Based on the information given by the six — Reddy Ranga, Prathiwada Shivaram, K. Panduranga Rao, Sriram Ravinder Rao, T. Veerabrahmam and S.K. Shiva Parvathi — police arrested drivers Jetty Sreenu and Karnati Sreenu, who were allegedly siphoning off fuel from the civic body’s vehicles and selling it away.

Vigil at dumping yard

Following a complaint by a VMC officer, police kept a vigil at the Excel Plant dumping yard and took into custody the six buyers, who spilled the beans on the diesel racket.

“We identified 17 drivers of the corporation who were stealing diesel and selling it off. Fifty more drivers are also being suspected of pilferage. More arrests are likely,” said North Zone Assistant Commissioner of Police K. Sravani.