Bhubaneswar/Cuttack, Jan. 16: The vigilance department today registered a criminal case against Soumendra Pradhan, who is the brother of Union minister of state for petroleum and natural gas Dharmendra Pradhan, for allegedly supplying gas cylinders to fake beneficiaries.

The department, which had raided the premises of Soumendra's Pradhan gas agency in Talcher on January 14, today alleged that "irregularities" were detected during the raid. Fearing arrest, late this evening Soumendra moved Orissa High Court seeking anticipatory bail.

Reacting to the raids, Pradhan today told the PTI that nobody was above law which would take its course if any irregularity was found. "Nobody is above law, whosoever he may be," Pradhan said.

He said state governments could 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. Nobody is above law, whether it is my bother or any of my relative. If they find something irregular, law will take its own course," he said.

Vigilance director R.P. Sharma today said: "Cases have been registered under the Essential Commodities Act, the Explosive Act, 1884, and also under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Section 420."

Two employees of the gas agency and one Debaraj Panda, to whom the cylinders were supplied, will also face criminal proceedings. It does not have licence to handle and transport cooking gas cylinders under the Explosive Act, said Sharma.

Evading questions on whether the raids were politically motivated, Sharma said: "I am clarifying the factual position of the raids conducted jointly by the vigilance and civil supplies departments."

The vigilance department said that during raids it was found that the gas agency had sold 83 cylinders to fake consumers. "At least 40 cylinders were supplied to Debaraj Panda in Talcher without any papers," he said, adding that raids were continuing across the state following complaints from consumers.

The vigilance director held today's press meet after the BJP alleged that the raids had been aimed at defaming Pradhan's Union petroleum ministry. "It has been done to brow beat the BJP in the panchayat polls," said a senior BJP leader.

General secretary of the BJP's state unit, Prithviraj Harichandan, said: "The BJD is scared of the successful implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana that provides subsidised cooking gas to the poor. Now raids are being conducted on gas agencies in rural areas to create an atmosphere of panic to derail the distribution scheme. It's a successful scheme under which 30 lakh BPL families will be covered in three years' time."

Vice-president of the BJP's state unit, Samir Mohanty, said: "Those who have committed mistakes should be punished. At the same time, people involved in the money deposit collection scams should also be punished. The BJD should welcome the CBI probe into deposit collection scam rather than organising protest rallies to give protection to its MPs and MLAs."

On January 12, the CBI had raided the house of Balasore MP R.K. Jena, Cuttack-Choudwar MLA Pravat Ranjan Biswal and employee of Naveen Nivas Saroj Sahu for their alleged links with the money deposit collection scam.

Dismissing the allegation of the BJP, vice-president of the BJD, Surya Narayan Patro, said that there was "no political motive" behind the action of the vigilance department.

He said: "A person must be punished if an offence has been committed. If Pradhan's brother has committed a crime, action should be taken as per law."