Two foreign students injured while trying to steal petrol

Two foreign nationals sustained minor burn wounds when they were trying to steal petrol from a bike at the basement of Louminium Hospitality apartment in Hennur Main Road in the early hours of Friday.

According to the police, the petrol spilled on the ground caught fire as one of them was smoking a cigarette. Around six bikes were gutted in the mishap.

The police have arrested Mustafa Mubarak, 22, a Bahrain citizen and a resident of Hennur Bande. He was pursuing a final year UG course in Pharmacy, and Wael Mansoor (22) of Sudan, a resident of Kanaka Nagar near RT Nagar who is pursuing second year Engineering. Both of them are students of Rajiv Gandhi College in Yelahanka.

On Thursday night, Mansoor had come to meet his friend Mubarak in Hennur. After they partied at his house, around 4.15 am, they went to the basement of Louminium apartment and were trying to steal petrol from a bike. As they were siphoning of the fuel from the bike tank into a bottle, a few drops fell on the ground. Sparks shot off the cigarette and fell on the drops of petrol triggering a fire. It spread at a rapid pace and five other bikes were also gutted. The duo, who suffered minor burn wounds, fled the spot, added the police.

A tyre of one of the bikes exploded waking up the occupants of the apartment, who came out and found smoke emanating from the basement. They found the bikes engulfed in flames. They managed to extinguish the fire. Later in the morning they checked the CCTV footage and found the entire act was recorded. They informed the police, who visited the spot, mentioned the police.

“With the help of the locals we managed to trace Mubarak in Hennur and arrested him. Mubarak confessed to have committed the offence. Based on his information, we also arrested Mansoor. They told the police that they were stealing petrol as Mansoor's bike had ran out of fuel and he had to get back home. But they are giving various reasons, we will subject the duo to further interrogation. Also, the security guard of the apartment, who was not present at the time of the incident will be questioned,” said a senior police officer.
A case has been registered in Hennur police station.