Police complaint against Rajkot fuel dealers association chief for ‘misleading public’

The FIR was filed at Pradyumannagar police station on the basis of a complaint by Amit Shivprasad Jaiswal, 50, the Divisional Retail Sales Head of IOCL, based in Rajkot.

The FIR alleged that on March 23, “Gopal Chudasama visited my office along with other dealers and mediapersons without a prior appointment and asked me about our stock of petrol and diesel. I replied that IOCL had enough fuel stock. Chudasama then gave a written application.”

The FIR alleged that Jaiswal assured Chudasama of stock being available.

The FIR added, “Chudasama then left my office and gave false statements that petrol pumps had run out of petrol and diesel. Because of these rumours on social media and news, believing these falsehoods, people lined up outside petrol pumps, there was chaos.”

The FIR added that there were enough stocks of petrol and diesel with the company and that they were being supplied to retail outlets with regularity.

Gopal Chudasama, who is also vice-president of the Federation of Gujarat Petroleum Dealers Associations (FGPDA), was booked under BNS section 353(1)(b) (punishes making or circulating statements, rumors, or reports (including electronically) that cause public fear or alarm, inducing people to commit offenses against the State or public tranquility). He was also booked under sections 3, 7 and 9(2) of the Essential Commodities Act.

Chudasama was unavailable for comment despite repeated attempts to contact him. However, the FGPDA said they were looking into the allegations against Chudasama.

The Indian Express reached out to a PR firm engaged by IOCL, and then directly to the Corporate Communications team at the public sector unit in Mumbai. No response was received till late evening on Tuesday.