Local residents help HPCL workers collect leaked fuel at Elathur on December 4, 2024.
| Photo Credit: special arrangement

The Kozhikode police in Kerala have registered a case against Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) in connection with the accidental leakage of diesel from its depot at Elathur on the outskirts of the city into an open drain last week.

The case was filed at the Elathur police station, based on a complaint by Kozhikode Corporation’s Elathur division councillor, Manoharan Mangariyil, on Monday (December 9, 2024). The HPCL officials have been charged under Section 287 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Cases have already been registered against HPCL under Sections 92 (general penalty for offenses) and 96 (imprisonment) of the Factories Act. A show-cause notice has been served on the public sector undertaking in the petroleum and natural gas industry.

Nearly 2,000 liters of diesel leaked into the open drain on the evening of December 4. Preliminary investigations revealed that the leak was caused by a malfunctioning sensor gauge during fuel filling.