Chemicals worth Rs 1 cr seized

In the biggest seizure during the ongoing raids against the oil mafia, officials have unearthed a major adulteration racket with the recovery of chemicals worth Rs 1 crore from Maharashtra's Solapur district.

District supply officials seized four tankers along with the chemicals near the temple town of Pandharpur late last night, sources said. With this seizure, officials have busted a major racket involving adulteration of chemicals transported on the Bangalore-Hyderabad route, the sources said.

Maharashtra government is planning to act collectively against food, sand and oil adulteration mafia in the state in the aftermath of the murder of Additional Collector Yashwant Sonawane. The government is also planning to rope in the oil companies to curb adulteration of petrol and diesel.

Home Minister R R Patil has instructed police to seal the petrol pumps which sell adulterated fuel. On Thursday night, police seized one lakh litres of adulterated petrol in suburban Kurla here.