Irregularities in Pradhan Gas Service: Dharmendra’s brother seeks anticipatory bail

Bhubaneswar: Soumendra Kumar Pradhan, brother of Petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan, on Monday moved the Orissa High Court seeking anticipatory bail over irregularities in his gas agency.

Soumendra moved the court after the Vigilance department registered a case against him for irregularities in his gas agency ‘Pradhan Gas Service’.

The Vigilance sleuths on Saturday conducted raids at several petrol pumps and gas agencies across the state, including the Pradhan Gas Service at Handidhuan in Talcher following allegation of adulteration and black-marketing.

The anti-corruption wing said 40 gas cylinders had been sold without authorization to one Debaraj Panda of Talcher without any document. The vigilance officials said verification of records further revealed that the 40 cylinders had allegedly been issued in the name of different consumers of the agency by faking documents.

“Finding irregularities, one case has been registered against 4 persons including the proprietor Soumendra Kumar Pradhan. The Vigilance Cuttack Division has registered the case under Sections 7 and 8 Essential Commodity Act, Section 9B and 12 of Explosive Act 1894, Sections 285, 420 and 120B IPC,” said Vigilance Director R.P. Sharma.