Nine get 1-year jail for stealing diesel

Mangaluru: The Belthangady principal JMFC Court has held nine people guilty for rigging a hole in the underground diesel supply pipeline and siphoning diesel.
Accused fined
The accused have been fined Rs 8.8 lakh. They will serve a one year jail term.
Balakrishna Suvarna from Yermal, Dharmasthala, Dondole resident Radhakrishna and Dharmasthala residents Naresh, Sandeep and Girish, Mangaluru, Padukody, resident Silvakodi D’Souza, Modankapu resident Lokesh Poojary, Permannur resident Wilfred D’Souza and Kotekar AH Colony resident Sheikh Abdullah were convicted for the crime.
Court judge K M Anand pronounced the judgment.
The nine were arrested in 2009 near Dondole, Dharmasthala, for siphoning off the diesel being pumped through the line by using a high pressure pump.
A complaint was filed by Petronet MHB officials, after which the 9 were arrested. They were alleged to have stolen fuel worth Rs 9.5 lakh.