CHENNAI: The city police have arrested two men for allegedly hoarding and selling LPG cylinders for inflated prices on the black market. They seized 40 cylinders from a house on Chithirai Kulam Street in Tiruvanmiyur during a raid on Friday evening.
The accused were Neelamegam (78) and his son Kumar (41). Acting on a specific tip-off, a team from the Tiruvanmiyur police station searched the residence and found commercial and domestic LPG cylinders stored without proper authorisation.
According to the police, the duo charged Rs 3,000 per domestic cylinder and charged Rs 6,000 to Rs 7,000 above the official price for commercial cylinders. The cylinders were supplied through underground channels, they said.
During the questioning at the police station, the duo's involvement in hoarding and illegal sales was confirmed. Investigators found that the suspects had recorded details of consignments illegally routed through their private network to various eateries and restaurants. The case has been transferred to the Civil Supplies CID for further action.
The Civil Supplies CID officials formally arrested the accused and produced them before a magistrate's court, which remanded them in judicial custody.
Police said the crackdown followed a recent price hike in commercial LPG cylinders, and that inspections have been amplified to prevent diversion and black marketing. Further investigation is under way to identify others involved in the network.