Aurangabad: One more petrol pump in Aurangabad district was exposed on Monday for short-changing fuel customers.A team of the Thane police is camping in the city to probe an inter-state racket supplying electronic chips to fuel outlets to short-change petrol and diesel sold to customers.In a series of crackdowns carried out during the past few days, three petrol pumps in the city limits were caught fleecing customers by short-changing fuel. Three petrol pumps near Kranti chowk, in Pundlik Nagar and near API corner faced action for cheating customers.Of the two petrol pumps from Kannad taluka under the scanner of investigation agencies, one is confirmed to have played a role in fleecing customers. The fuel outlet was short-changing nearly 15ml petrol per 5 litre sale, said authorities.Suspicious fuel outlets are on the radar of the Thane police, after a tip-off that some petrol pumps across the state, including a few in Aurangabad, have installed chips in fuel vending machines.A team of the legal metrology department has also been accompanying the police. Suspected pulsers -- which show how much fuel is dispensed -- attached with vending machines have been seized at the four petrol pumps. The police are keeping the crackdown against petrol pumps under wraps, but more errant fuel outlets could be exposed in the days to come.The modus operandi of this scam involves use of electronic chips to dispense a lower quantity of fuel than what is displayed on the vending machines. The scam is suspected to have links with a similar one in Uttar Pradesh which was exposed in April.Authorities said a similar racket was busted in Thane recently, leading to crackdown against petrol pumps across the state. The Maharashtra director general of police is understood to have given special permission to the Thane police to raid suspected petrol pumps across the state.Meanwhile, fuel outlets getting exposed for short-changing petrol and diesel has created a stir among buyers who have questioned the role of oil companies. "I was taken aback to hear that fuel outlets are actually committing theft as I always believed the vending machines were tamper-proof. We should thank the Thane police, who have busted this inter-state racket and are now targeting the roots of this scam by raiding petrol pumps across the state," said Shweta Mule, a teacher. She also demanded that oil companies order a parallel inquiry in the whole matter.Pankaj Pathak, an accounting professional, said the profit earned by fuel outlets after fleecing customers should also be revealed as part of the inquiry. "Even taking 15ml of fuel per 5 litres can result in huge savings for pump owners if you consider the overall pilfering during daily sales, which could run into thousands of litres. It is a big scam and the government should not be silent on the matter any longer," he said.

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