The Vijayapura police on Monday, freed a person who was locked up in a petrol bunk for nearly 12 days, over non payment of fuel dues.
Mounesh Pattar, was stripped to his inner wear and locked up in a room in the Bhosle Service Station petrol bunk in Muddebihal for at least 12 days. He faces the allegation of not clearing dues of ₹10-15 lakh for diesel purchase. The fuel was bought for trucks of Shivashakti borewells, a Tamil Nadu-based company. Mr. Pattar was the borewell company’s local agent.
The dues were pending for four years, the petrol bunk owners told the police.
“The victim’s wife Rangamma Pattar, and children Soumya, Sneha, Sandesh and Chandru, requested the petrol bunk owner Bharat Bhosle to release him. They tried to reason with him that Mr. Pattar was only an agent and he could transfer the money only after the Tamil Nadu company transferred it to him. However, Mr. Bhosle did not listen. Rangamma Pattar and her children sat in front of the petrol bunk and cried for hours. But the bunk authorities did not budge,” the police said.
M.B. Patil, district in-charge Minister, noticed this news covered by some local news outlets. He ordered Deputy Commissioner Vijaymahantesh Danammanavar and SP Anand Kumar to release the victim and book a case against the bunk owner and staff.
A team of revenue and police officers visited the bunk on Monday. They freed Mounesh Pattar and booked a case against the bunk owner and staff. A case of illegal confinement, torture and intimidation has been registered in the Muddebihal police station. The police sent Mounesh Pattar to the taluk hospital, said a police officer.
