The Navi Mumbai police have registered a case against six drivers for allegedly pilfering nitric acid worth about Rs 35 lakh while transporting the chemical in different tankers, an official said on Wednesday. The alleged pilferage took place between January 20 and January 22 when the acid was being transported in six tankers from a company near Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) to another firm in Taloja in Navi Mumbai, he said. The drivers are accused of removing a certain amount of the acid from each tanker and replacing it with another substance. Nitric acid, a colourless fuming liquid, is used to make several products, including plastic, dye, and fertilisers.
The alleged pilferage came to light after the Taloja company complained that it had received nitric acid of some different grade. The drivers took out nitric acid worth nearly Rs 35 lakh, he said, citing the complaint. The Taloja police on Tuesday registered a case against the six tanker drivers under Indian Penal Code section 407 (criminal breach of trust by carrier), the official added.
