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Strong Action Against Employees For Leak, Says Petroleum Minister

Strong Action Against Employees For Leak, Says Petroleum Minister
NEW DELHI, INDIA - JULY 5: Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan speaks during an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times over increase rates of subsidised LPG, kerosene and diesel, on July 5, 2014 in New Delhi, India. Pradhan also said, there is no fresh proposal to increase LPG prices or to change the duty structure on diesel. (Photo by Saumya Khandelwal/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Hindustan Times via Getty Images
NEW DELHI, INDIA - JULY 5: Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan speaks during an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times over increase rates of subsidised LPG, kerosene and diesel, on July 5, 2014 in New Delhi, India. Pradhan also said, there is no fresh proposal to increase LPG prices or to change the duty structure on diesel. (Photo by Saumya Khandelwal/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

NEW DELHI -- Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan today said strong action would be taken against the two employees of his ministry who were arrested by police for allegedly leaking confidential government documents to private companies.

"They will be severely dealt with. Police is probing the case. We will take strong action against the guilty. Government will come down hard on them," he said when asked about the case.

Two Petroleum Ministry employees were among five persons arrested for allegedly leaking confidential government documents to private companies, Delhi Police said today.

Lalta Prasad, 36, Rakesh Kumar, 30, and Raj Kumar Chaubey, 39, were arrested and official documents were recovered from them, the police said. Police also recovered duplicate keys used by them for accessing the offices in the ministry, forged identity cards and fraudulently obtained temporary passes.

Police said that Prasad and Kumar are brothers and had been on temporary employment until 2012 in Shastri Bhawan. In the theft, they were assisted by their fathers, who have also been arrested.

Asked whether any corporate lobbyist could be involved, the Petroleum Minister said it was up to the police to investigate. "The government was conscious. Agencies are investigating. They will come out with full facts," he said.

Terming leaking of information as a serious issue, the Minister said CCTV cameras were installed inside the Ministry as part of security measures. "Government will come down hard on those involved," he said.

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