Police Seize 475 LP Gas Cylinders in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur Amidst Black Market Crackdown

Kathmandu. Police have recovered cooking gas LP gas cylinders from Narephat and Samakhushi in Kathmandu. 183 cylinders were recovered from Narephat, Kathmandu-32, and 189 cylinders from Samakhushi, informed SP Rameshwar Karki of the Valley Crime Investigation Office. Police have arrested Narayan Shrestha, operator of Ramechhap Brand Gas Dealer in Narephat, and Pradip Ghimire, who conducts gas business through Hamro Sagarmartha Cooperative Institution in Basundhara, on charges of black marketing gas. Ghimire was found to be selling 2,600 gas cylinders. SP Karki said that the gas dealer operator in Narephat was selling gas at a higher price in Sankhu and Chakrapath by stocking it and showing a shortage. On Thursday, a team from the Valley Crime Investigation Office had recovered 75 cylinders from Suryabinayak in Bhaktapur and 28 cylinders from Itachhe. Umesh Shah, 25, operator of Saralhi General Store in Suryabinayak Municipality-3, accused of black marketing gas from Bhaktapur, and Rajesh Karmacharya, 41, who has been selling Sagar gas in Itachhe, have been arrested by the police and are being investigated. Shah was found to be selling gas to consumers at Rs 2800 per cylinder. Both those arrested from Bhaktapur have been handed over to the District Police Complex Bhaktapur by the Investigation Office.