Judicial custody for Tuli

The request for police custody remand made by Nagpur Rural Police would be decided thereafter, the order reportedly said. At present, Tuli is in the intensive care unit of Dr Aziz Khan8217;s hospital at Dhantoli under police surveillance.

Meanwhile, anticipatory bail applications of Tuli8217;s brothers Inderpal Singh and Bachinder Singh, who also happen to be his business partners, was rejected by a court,Thursday. With the possibility of arrest by rural police looming large, both brothers had applied for bail. Senior rural police officials were not available for comment as to whether police would arrest the two.

The rural police was likely to demand constitution of an independent panel of doctors to examine Mohabbat Singh Tuli, it is learnt. Tuli was arrested by the Nagpur rural police on Wednesday on charges of involvement in unnatural death of his petrol pump employee and also for adulteration of diesel at Tuli8217;s Khapri based petrol pump. The adulteration in diesel at Tuli8217;s petrol pump came to light after two fuel tankers which were positioned behind the petrol pump for mixing kerosene in diesel burst into flames on November 4. As a result of the fire, one of the petrol pump employee, Raju Masram suffered severe burns and died during treatment.

Petrol pump employees admitted to police that fuel was regularly adulterated at the pump on the instructions of owner Mohabbat Singh Tuli. The tankers whichhad lined up at the petrol pump were attached to Bombay Garage.Rural police conducted simultaneous raids on Tuli8217;s petrol pump at Khapri, his office at Hotel Tuli International and also at a kerosene pump at Narkhed. The pump is owned by Nitin Patil, who also owns one of the tankers that caught fire at Tuli8217;s pump. He is absconding since the incident and a police party has reached Aurangabad in search of him.

An investigator told The Indian Express that burnt engine oil was mixed with kerosene and sold as diesel at Tuli8217;s petrol pump. Police have already seized samples of the adulterated fuel and sent it for analysis to the regional chemical laboratory. This is independent of the investigations of adulteration being done by the Food and Drugs Administration Department.

Sena demands withdrawal of Tuli8217;s licences

Jubilant over their charges of adulteration being confirmed, Shiv Sena leaders of the district have demanded cancellation of Tuli8217;s petrol pump licences. A delegation of Senaleaders led by district deputy chief Diwakar Patne met IBP official Mathur, who assured he would order an inquiry into the episode. He said special duty officers would be posted by the company at its petrol pumps in city to check such incidents. The Shiv Sena has also alleged that Tuli8217;s cardiac complaints were cooked up, and threatened to hold demonstrations before the Dr Aziz Khan hospital if Tuli was not discharged quickly.