Pramesh S Jain
The parappana Agrahara police have registered an FIR againt unknown people for installing electronic chips in fuel dispensing machines at his outlet,resulting in alleged cheating of customers,the dealership and the oil company.
According to the complaint filed on July 31 by the (Harshavardhan R),owner of Sri Renukamba Fuels,an HPCL-authorised fuel station,the outlet on Hosur road has been operating since 2020 under a valid licence issued by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL).
The complainant stated that the petrol bunk follows the company’s mandatory daily five-litre fuel testing procedure on all dispensing units and that no discrepancies had ever been detected.
Officials from HPCL and the Department of Legal Metrology also conducted periodic inspections and had not previously reported any irregularities.
However,during the annual inspection conducted on July 24,2026, an HPCL pump mechanic,identified as Lingaraju,reportedly suspected that an electronic chip had been installed inside one of the dispensing units.
Harshavardhan said he informed HPCL sales officer Mehak Changrani about the suspected tampering on July 27.
The following day,the owner allegedly found that the display board of one of the fuel dispensers had been removed by unknown persons.
When HPCL officials inspected the outlet on July 28, they allegedly informed him that electronic chips were present in the pumps.
On July 29,the company removed the display boards and other components from all dispensing units for detailed examination.
In his complaint,Harshavardhan alleged that unknown employees,in collusion with a skilled pump mechanic and without his knowledge,may have installed electronic chips in the dispensers to supply customers with less fuel than indicated,thereby misappropriating the excess amount collected.
He claimed the alleged acts amounted to cheating not only customers but also the petrol pump dealership and HPCL.
The complainant named several former employees and stated that company-authorised mechanics,including Lingaraju and Puneeth,had periodically serviced the dispensing units whenever technical issues arose.
Parappana Agrahara Police have registered a case and launched an investigation to identify those responsible for the alleged installation of electronic chips and the suspected fuel dispensing fraud.
