A fuel-tampering controversy has hit a petrol pump in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur. A car owner was left stunned after station attendants billed him for filling more than 52 litres of petrol into a vehicle with a maximum tank capacity of just 45 liters. Following the uproar, the district administration stepped in and ordered an immediate investigation into the station’s dispensing units.
The vehicle owner, Charan Singh, had recently purchased the brand-new car. He pulled into the fuel station with the fuel indicator showing roughly five litres of petrol remaining in the tank. Singh requested the pump attendants to top up the vehicle and fill the tank to its maximum capacity.
However, confusion turned to shock when he was handed the final bill. The receipt cleared state taxes and billed him for a whopping 52 litres of petrol.
Singh immediately challenged the pump staff, pointing out the absolute physical impossibility of the meter reading. He argued that the tank could not hold that volume, especially since it was not empty when he arrived.
Explaining the sequence, Singh revealed that the attendants initially pumped 41 litres. When he questioned them, they claimed that large volumes must be filled in two separate instalments. They then allegedly manipulated the machine to add another 11 litres to the total.
Suspecting an organised scam, Singh refused to back down and summoned a representative from the car manufacturing company directly to the spot. The company official arrived and formally confirmed that the vehicle’s tank could not hold more than 45 litres under any circumstances.
Faced with undeniable technical proof, the petrol pump management offered only vague excuses. Singh has now lodged a formal complaint alleging a systemic fraud racket operating with the collusion of local weights and measures officials. The district administration has launched a probe to inspect the dispensing machines for rigged chips.
– Ends
Published By:
Akash Chatterjee
Published On:
Jun 1, 2026 14:23 IST
