Petrol pump booked for tampering kiosks to cheat customers

Chittoor: Police in Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor raided a petrol pump and allegedly found a tampered fuel-dispensing machine, which the cops alleged, was used to cheat customers.

“Acting on information given to us from a source, we found two chips in the keypad of the machine which was used to tamper with the reading. The chips have been seized,” said Eswar Reddy, District Superintendent of Police.

The kiosk, police said, was compromised using a microchip and was found to be dispensing diesel and petrol 40 millimetres less per litre. While the facility’s manager has been arrested, a case has been registered against its owner.

“The manager of the petrol pump, Venkatrao, has been taken into custody. A case has been registered against the petrol pump owner, the manager and the seller of the chips,” Reddy said while interacting with reporters on Friday.

If a machine at filling-stations tampers, it gives false readings due to integrated chips. This show disproportionate readings, which in simple terms mean customers paying more for lesser than desired fuel.

Reddy said that investigation revealed the owner of the petrol pump, Srinivas Rao, had bought the chips for Rs 1 lakh in February.