An FIR has been lodged in Ratlam following an incident where vehicles in Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's convoy stalled due to water-mixed fuel. The incident has triggered a series of actions, including an official investigation and directives for thorough inspections of petrol pumps across the state.
The incident occurred on June 26 at approximately 10 p.m. at the Shakti Fuel Point in Dosigaon, Ratlam. After refueling at the pump, vehicles in the Chief Minister's convoy experienced breakdowns and had to be pushed to the side of the road. Subsequently, alternative vehicles were arranged from Indore.
In response to the incident, the state government took immediate action. State Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Minister Govind Singh Rajput directed senior officials to take necessary action by holding a meeting with oil companies. The state government has also instructed that all petrol pumps be investigated to ensure that quality petrol and diesel are available to consumers. An FIR has been registered against the pump operator under Section 377 of the Essential Commodities Act 1955, as well as provisions of the Motor Spirit and High-Speed Diesel (Regulation of Supply and Distribution and Prevention of Malpractices) Order 2005.
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has attributed the issue to "unusual heavy rainfall" that allegedly caused water to enter the fuel storage tanks at the Shakti Fuel Point. BPCL stated that preliminary inspections by government officials revealed water in the underground High-Speed Diesel (HSD) tank, while the petrol (MS) tank was unaffected. The company added that the dealer had checked both petrol and diesel tanks earlier that morning, as per standard operating procedure, and no water was detected at that time. The fuel station had also sold high-speed diesel to consumers without any issues before the incident.
Following directives from local authorities, the fuel station was promptly closed at 11:45 p.m. on June 26. Fuel samples were collected and sent for testing, with results expected soon. Authorities have sealed the petrol pump and seized 5995 liters of petrol and 10657 liters of diesel.
Additional Chief Secretary Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Rashmi Arun Shami held a meeting with officials from Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited on June 27 in response to the incident.
Ratlam District Collector Rajesh Batham said that initial testing of diesel samples taken from the pump indicated a “variation in diesel density”. He added that an indicator installed at the pump also showed water content in the diesel, despite which it was being sold to customers.
BPCL has initiated an investigation into the matter and expressed regret for the inconvenience caused. The company stated, "We deeply regret the inconvenience caused to our customers by an isolated incident of presence of water in the diesel tank at our Fuel Station, M/s Shakti Fuel Point in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh, which affected some vehicles on the evening of June 26, 2025".
Madhya Pradesh Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Protection Minister Govind Singh Rajput has issued strict directives for a thorough inspection of all petrol pumps across the state.
