Ramar Pillai arrested by CBI for selling fake fuel

Ramar Pillai arrested by CBI for selling fake fuel
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

CHENNAI, MARCH 11: The CBI today arrested P Ramar Pillai, who shot into fame with his `herbal fuel theory' for allegedly cheating the public by selling Industrial Organic Chemicals as herbal fuel. Ramar Pillai was later remanded to judicial custody till March 24 after he was produced before the holiday court of CBI Special Judge R Munirathinam.

The CBI counsel filed an application seeking police custody for 10 days to investigate the conspiracy behind Ramar Pillai's venture. However, the judge granted police custody for six days. He will be produced before the court on March 16. Ramar Pillai told media persons when he was being taken out of the CBI office to the judge's house, ``This is the price I get for my invention.''

CBI Joint Director (South) D Mukherjee told media persons that the arrest was made at 1 am on March 11, after a day-long search which was conducted at Ramar Pillai's residence in Kodambakkam, Chennai, a godown in Pallavaram and 11 other retail outlets on Friday.

The CBI seized 10,500 litres of Ramar Petrol and 1,500 litres of additives used by him in addition to nine containers of chemicals during the searches. The CBI also seized cash of Rs 4.61 lakh and various documents giving evidence that Ramar Pillai was not making any herbal fuel.

The CBI in a statement said it had received information that Ramar Pillai was selling fuel styled as `Ramar Bio-fuel', `Ramar Tamil Devi Mooligai Eri Porul' and `Ramar Petrol' through several retail outlets in and around Chennai.

The CBI statement said it was alleged that Ramar Pillai, in conspiracy with unidentified public servants of oil refineries and oil distributing companies, was getting supply of petroleum products like Benzene and Toluene which are utilised for purposes other than as fuel. These chemicals with additives were being sold as herbal petrol. There were several complaints of vehicles being damaged after using the `fuel' prepared by him. Mukherjee said lab tests of these chemicals did not satisfy the requirements stipulated for motor gasoline as per IS 2796:1995.

At the time of Pillai's arrest, his mother and another woman, whom he claimed to be his sister, were with him.

The CBI had been following the case for the last two to three months. A case was registered under Sec 120-B (Criminal conspiracy), 420 of IPC (Cheating) and 13(2) read with 13(1)(d) of Prevention of Corruption Act and Sec 7(1) of the Essential Commodities Act, coupled with the Motor Spirit and High Speed Diesel Regulation of Supply, Distribution and Prevention of Malpractices Order 1998.

Mukherjee said the CBI would find out the people behind Pillai in his ventures, but they had no clues at the moment. The FIR alleges conspiracy with unknown public servants.

Strangely, Pillai did not have any production unit and had only small containers and barrels. He had given a fake Virugambakkam address for hois factory.

CBI said that Pillai did not even have a patent or licence to sell the fuel, as the Department of Science and Technology had rejected his claims for patents.

Pillai's mother, Venudevi, said he said that he would come out soon. She confirmed that the chemicals seized fron the house belonged to them. ``We have a lab in our house where tests are conducted.''