Asked not to smoke at fuel pump, trio attacks owner

BENGALURU: The owner of a petrol pump on the Bengaluru-Ramanagara main road, along with its manager, were attacked by three SUV-borne miscreants, after they were asked to stop smoking on the premises. The staff had refused to refuel their vehicle, if they continued smoking. However, the trio continued doing the same, and even put out a cigarette very close to the fuel sump.

The pump’s owner has been identified as Mohan, while the manager is KS Manu, who filed a police complaint. The filling station is located at Archakarahalli, and the incident occurred on Saturday around 4.45 pm. The  accused, who barged inside the pump’s office, had to be controlled by the other staffers and motorists. After the owner tried to call police, the accused fled.

Speaking to TNIE, the manager said it was very scary when the accused did not put out the cigarette. “The sump was getting filled and the accused were very close to the petrol tanker. When petrol is getting loaded into the  sump, we stop refuelling vehicles. The accused, who were waiting, were smoking. Luckily nothing happened. In case something had happened, nobody would have been alive, including the accused,” Manu said. In case of a  mishap, there would have been a major fire covering a radius of around 100 metres.

The police, after checking CCTV footage, have found that the accused are from Ramanagara, and were driving an SUV registered in Bengaluru Central (Koramangala) RTO.The accused have been booked for causing hurt, wrongful restraint, along with other sections of the IPC. “We suspect that the accused were drunk. Their identity has been known and they will be arrested soon,” said an  officer.