LPG shortage: Cylinder thefts caught on camera in Bengaluru | Watch

As India grapples with a persistent LPG supply crisis, reports of cooking gas cylinder thefts have emerged from Bengaluru.

According to the Deccan Herald, at least two separate instances of cylinder pilferage from residential neighbourhoods have been confirmed in Karnataka's capital city.

A video posted by the Press Trust of India on X (formerly Twitter) provides a glimpse into one of these crimes. The footage reveals a man arriving at a residential street on a motorbike and subsequently fleeing with a cylinder concealed within a sack. This particular theft occurred in the Kalyan Nagar district of Bengaluru.

A second incident was documented in Channapatna, where CCTV cameras recorded two suspects on a scooter seizing an LPG cylinder that had been left unattended outside a residence. The Deccan Herald noted that law enforcement officials have yet to make any arrests regarding these cases, though active investigations are ongoing.

In light of these events, local authorities have urged Bengaluru residents to store their LPG cylinders safely inside their homes. Citizens are also encouraged to report any suspicious behaviour in their communities to the police. Notably, similar reports of cylinder theft are surfacing in various other regions across India as the shortage continues.

Acting on a confidential tip, law enforcement intercepted the suspects — identified as Javed, Aamir, Ritik, Sumit, Shubhankar, Abhishek, and Surendra — near a gas storage facility on Gwalior Road early Wednesday morning.

According to Senior Superintendent of Police BGTS Murthy, all the accused are local residents of Jhansi.

In addition to the physical stock, police seized ₹11.10 lakh in cash and an additional ₹83,820, which officials believe were the proceeds generated from the illegal sale of the stolen fuel.

The heist began on 2 March when truck driver Rajkumar parked the transport vehicle loaded with 524 filled LPG cylinders outside the Bharat Petroleum depot in Sipri Bazar before heading home for festivities. Upon his return on 6 March, the vehicle had vanished, prompting the owner, Neeraj Agrawal, to file an official police complaint.

The truck was subsequently discovered abandoned in the Baragaon region with its GPS tracking system intentionally damaged.

Investigating officers formed multiple specialized teams to track the missing cargo.

During questioning, it was revealed that Javed and Ritik — both former drivers previously employed at the gas plant — masterminded the theft to generate quick profit. The group now faces charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Arms Act, and the Motor Vehicles Act. All suspects have been remanded to judicial custody.