On Thursday night, a convoy of 19 SUVs intended for Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's use was brought to a standstill in Ratlam after being filled with adulterated diesel. The incident occurred a day before the Chief Minister was scheduled to visit the district for a Regional Industry, Skill and Employment Conclave.
The vehicles, primarily Toyota Innovas, were refueled at Shakti Fuels, a Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) petrol pump near Dosigaon village on the Indore-Mhow road, approximately 10 kilometers from the Ratlam collectorate. Shortly after refueling around 10 p.m., the vehicles' engines began to fail, forcing drivers to push them off the road. Some vehicles stopped at the petrol station itself, while others managed to travel only about 500 meters before breaking down. Shubham Parmar, one of the drivers in the convoy, reported finding water mixed in the diesel.
The incident sparked immediate concern and led to the sealing of the petrol pump. Additional Collector Shalini Shrivastava stated that fuel samples were collected as soon as the complaint was received. Authorities from BPCL also rushed to the site to collect diesel samples for testing at their lab in Manglia, Indore. Approximately 5,995 liters of petrol and 10,675 liters of diesel have been sealed.
A press note from the district administration indicated that heavy rain may have caused water to seep into the petrol pump's diesel tank, leading to the contamination. Petrol pump authorities have suggested that rainwater may have leaked into the underground fuel storage tanks. However, the possibility of deliberate adulteration has also been raised, with some questioning why only the CM's convoy was affected. A local resident reportedly showed officials a bottle of fuel from the same pump containing visible layers of diesel and water.
An investigation is underway to determine the extent of the contamination and whether negligence or foul play was involved. Local naib tehsildar Ashish Upadhyay stated that officials were questioning the petrol pump staff, and authorities are trying to locate the owner of the petrol pump, Shanti Bundela and her husband Hemraj Bundela, who are residents of Indore. A case has been registered against them under sections 3 and 7 of the Essential Commodities Act 1955.
Despite the disruption, alternative vehicles were arranged from Indore to ensure Chief Minister Yadav's visit to Ratlam proceeded as planned.
