Power outage at UP gas pump after helmetless lineman denied fuel

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In a chain of events demonstrating why India is not for beginners, a fuel pump attendant's insistence on following the 'no helmet, no petrol' rule led to consequences he would not have imagined. The biker, who was refused fuel, happened to be an electricity department staff and took revenge by snipping the fuel pump's power supply.


The bizarre incident took place in Uttar Pradesh's Hapur district on Monday. The Yogi Adityanath government has asked district officials to enforce the 'no helmet, no petrol' rule as part of an initiative to reduce road accident casualties. Petrol pump owners have also been asked to refuse fuel to bikers who don't wear helmets.


According to a petrol pump attendant, a lineman with the power supply department came to refuel his bike on Monday. He was not wearing a helmet. The petrol pump staff had been told to refuse fuel to any biker not wearing a helmet. "Our owner informed us about the district magistrate's order that no one should be given fuel if he/she is not wearing a helmet. When the lineman came, we refused to refuel his bike. He left in a huff and disconnected the power supply."


The sudden power cut surprised the petrol pump staff. The power supply was restored about 20 minutes later. The petrol pump's owner has registered a police complaint.


A CCTV camera in the vicinity has captured the miffed lineman stopping his bike near the transformer and scaling a wall. He then climbs a pole and snips the power line. As he climbs down, people are seen approaching the transformer to check what has gone wrong.


According to the order issued by the District Magistrate Prerna Sharma, petrol pump owners in Hapur have been asked not to sell petrol to bikers without helmets. They have been told to put up large hoardings to spread awareness about the 'no helmet, no petrol' rule. Even pillion riders are required to wear helmets under this rule. Petrol pump owners have also been asked to ensure CCTV cameras on the premises are working so that the footage can help in case of a dispute.


Inputs by Mohd Adnan