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Bottles of petrol are easily available at shops and kiosks across the State, especially in those areas where petrol pumps are not readily available. It is also not uncommon to find people visiting petrol pumps with empty bottles and cans to purchase petrol in small quantities, writes ELVINO ARAUJO
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VASCO
The use of petrol to burn a body in a bid to conceal a murder in Margao recently has fuelled the debate about the easy availability of the inflammable liquid at petrol pumps in the State.
Margao police had stated that Anthony Fernandes (50) from Tivim, after allegedly setting the body of his wife, Fermaina Fiona Fernandes (42) on fire, had gone to buy additional two litres of petrol from a nearby petrol pump.
“After purchasing petrol, he rode back to the spot where he had set the body on fire. He poured more petrol to ensure that the body was completely burnt,” Margao PI C L Patil had said.
Bottles of petrol are easily available at shops and kiosks across the State, especially in those areas where petrol pumps are not readily available. It is also not uncommon to find people visiting petrol pumps with empty bottles and cans to purchase petrol in small quantities.
The fear that easy availability of petrol could be used in crimes, such as the one in Margao, has raised concerns, but All Goa Petrol Pump Owners' Association President Paresh Joshi admits that petrol pumps are allowed to sell restricted amounts of petrol in loose quantities.
“There is no ban on the sale of petrol in bottles. The petrol pump owners can, however, sell up to 20 litres of petrol in loose,” said Joshi.
“The buyer is, however, expected to produce necessary permission from authorities concerned at the time of buying the petrol in loose from any petrol pump in the State,” added Joshi.
“There are individuals who visit petrol pumps to buy one or two litres of petrol after claiming that their vehicles stopped on the road after running out of fuel.”
“Petrol pump attendants sells the petrol in loose to known persons and in good faith, but what the buyer does with the petrol cannot be known,” Joshi added.
Joshi informed that similar conditions are placed on the sale of diesel in small quantities.
“We can also sell diesel up to 35 litres as this is either used in gensets, outboard motors and road rollers, after satisfying that the purchaser has a valid permission from the civil supplies,” said Joshi.
Speaking to The Goan, petrol pump owners in the port town confirmed that they are only authorised to sell petrol in bottles or gallons after the buyer produces a valid permission.
“Most of the customers are known to the salesman and they sell the product in bottles and cans in good faith,” said a pump owner.
“The excuse they give to the salesman is that their two-wheeler or four-wheeler got stuck on the road due to lack of petrol. On humanitarian grounds, the salesman then sells them the petrol,” added the pump owner.
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Never issued permission: Civil supplies officer
VASCO: Petrol pump owners claim that buyers need to obtain permission from the civil supplies office to buy petrol in bottles or cans and one would assume that the civil supplies office in Vasco has been busy issuing permissions, going by the frequent filling of petrol in cans and bottles at petrol pumps.
But believe it or not, Mormugao Civil Supplies Sub-Inspector Sanjeev Naik, incharge of allotment of kerosene, stated that their office has never issued any such permission to purchase 20 litres of petrol.
“We neither give any such permission or has anyone approached us for such permission,” admitted Naik.
“We only monitor the sale of kerosene and the sale of petrol and diesel is looked after by the district magistrate,” Naik added.
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Log those buying fuel in cans: Police
VASCO: The easy availability of petrol and diesel in bottles and cans at petrol pumps in the State has left law enforcement agencies concerned about the potential misuse in crimes.
“The sale of petrol in loose quantities as dangerous. The customer may give a number of good reasons to purchase a litre of petrol and can then use it to commit a heinous crime, like the one that took place in Margao,” said a police officer in Vasco, on condition of anonymity.
Asked if there were ways to regulate the sale of petrol in loose quantities so that genuine motorists would not be made to suffer if petrol pumps stop the sale of petrol in bottles/cans due to anti-social elements, the police official suggested one option.
“Cybercafes maintain a register of all customers with their photo identity along with address proof and mobile number. In the same manner, petrol pump owners should follow this same practice when customers want petrol or diesel in bottles/cans. This will enable law enforcement agencies to trace a customer if he/she is linked to a crime involving the use of petrol or diesel,” the police official said.
