Nobody is above law: Pradhan on raids on brother’s LPG agency

A day after a cooking gas agency belonging to his brother were among petrol pumps and LPG agencies raided by the anti-corruption wing in Odisha, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday said nobody is above law which will take its course if any irregularity is found. “Nobody is above law, whosoever he may be,” Pradhan said when asked to comment on the raid conducted following allegations of adulteration and black-marketing. He said state governments as per law can conduct searches and such an action should be taken to its logical conclusion of either punishing the guilty or exonerating those not involved.

“States have a right under the Essential Commodities Act to carry out searches and take action. They have done it. It should be taken to logical conclusion,” he said. “Nobody is above law, whether it is my bother or any of my relative.” On Saturday, Odisha’s anti-corruption vigilance department conducted raids at several petrol pumps and cooking gas agencies across the state, including the one belonging to Pradhan’s the brother following allegation of adulteration and black-marketing.