Two arrested for selling spurious engine oil

NT Correspondent

Police have busted a spurious  engine oil scam and arrested two  people for their alleged involve- ment. The cops also seized raw ma- terials worth lakhs of rupees from  the manufacturing unit where the  oil was being made by the accused.

The accused have been identified  as Swami, a native of Elachipalay- am. He was arrested from Channapatna taluk, where he had been  staying for a couple of months; and  his accomplice M.R. Nagaraj, a na- tive of Hassan district.

Preliminary investigations re- vealed that Swami earlier had a  tailor shop. He was introduced to  a Delhi-based customer, who was  employed at an engine oil manufac- turing company. Swami then used  to procure engine oil from that em- ployee and sell it to the local people. 

Later, he started obtaining raw ma- terials through which he learnt to  manufacture fake engine oil. Police said the accused used re- cycled cans of branded engine oil  companies and stick labels similar  to the original brands. He would  pack the fake oil in these containers  and sell it to the local customers.

According to the sources, a cus- tomer who had recently bought en- gine oil from Swami, found it to be  fake through a local mechanic. He  immediately reported the matter to  the police. A police team, including PSI  Ashwini attached to Ashok Nagar  police station, tracked Swami and  raided his fake oil manufacturing  unit and arrested both the accused. 

The officials seized engine oil of  different brands worth Rs 10 lakh,  a car and a mobile phone from the  accused, police said. The accused  would spend Rs 40-50 on manufacturing a can of fake oil and sell  them to local people for Rs 200.