Pali, Rajasthan: A dispute over filling diesel in a drum at a petrol pump in Pali turned violent on Monday night after a group of youths allegedly attacked the pump staff and vandalised property. Following the incident, petrol pump operators across the city announced an indefinite strike demanding the arrest of the accused.

Argument Over Diesel Filling Escalates Into Violence

The incident took place around 8:30 p.m. at Bhati Petrol Pump located on Sumerpur Road. CCTV footage of the incident has also surfaced.

According to pump operator Subhash Parmar, a youth arrived at the petrol pump carrying a drum with a capacity of around 35 litres and asked the staff to fill it with diesel. The salesman initially refused to fill diesel in the drum, leading to an argument between the two.

Parmar said he later intervened and allowed diesel worth Rs 1,000 to be filled so the youth could continue his journey.

Parmar alleged that after the fuel was filled, the youth refused to pay the Rs 1,000 bill and called around 10-12 associates to the petrol pump.

The group allegedly arrived carrying iron rods and threatened the people sitting inside the cabin to come outside. They then smashed the glass windows of the cabin and created chaos at the petrol pump.

The accused also allegedly pushed and assaulted the staff members and the pump operator during the attack.

Police Detain Two Suspects, Investigation Underway

After receiving information about the violence, police from the Kotwali police station reached the spot. Seeing the police arrive, several accused reportedly fled from the scene.

Police detained two youths from the spot and took them into custody. Officials said further investigation is underway based on CCTV footage and witness statements.

Petrol Pump Owners Announce Indefinite Strike

Petrol pump owner Javed Bhati said fuel supply to petrol pumps has been limited in recent days, due to which a rule was implemented to restrict customers from purchasing fuel worth more than Rs 1,000.

He alleged that the accused insisted on filling diesel worth Rs 3,000 in the drum and started forcing the staff when they were denied.

“They later called their associates and attacked the petrol pump and damaged property,” Bhati said.

Following the incident, the Pali District Petrol Pump Association announced an indefinite strike.

Association president Kartikeya Shrotriya said all petrol pumps in Pali city would remain closed until the accused are arrested. He warned that if strict action is not taken, petrol pumps across the district may also be shut in the next phase of protest.

Similar Incident Reported a Day Earlier

A similar dispute was reported a day earlier near Gundoj in the Guda Endla police station area, where a customer allegedly argued with a petrol pump operator over fuel filling. Police later intervened and resolved the matter peacefully.