A field officer of state-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) was stabbed to death at a petrol pump in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district on Tuesday while his team was carrying out sealing proceedings, drawing union demands for a time-bound investigation and stronger safety protections for PSU officers in the field.
The deceased officer, identified as Mahesh Shelke, was a field officer with IOC’s Nanded North Retail Service Station Area. The incident took place at Ambachondi village in Basmat tehsil at around 4.30 pm on 6 October 2026, while Shelke and his team were sealing a petrol pump owned by the Pandavveer family, which had been non-functional for three months due to technical issues and had restarted operations without authorisation.
The pump operator’s family had reportedly asked for a month’s extension to restart the outlet, and the inspection team’s refusal led to an argument that turned violent. Shelke was stabbed seven times with a knife and died on the spot. Police have named Umesh Pandavveer, the son of the outlet operator Sahebrao Pandavveer, as the prime accused.
Indian Oil Corporation confirmed the death and said it had escalated the matter with the authorities. “At this hour of immense grief, IndianOil stands firmly with his bereaved family and is extending all possible support to them. The Corporation has taken up the matter with the concerned authorities,” IOC said in a statement posted on X.
Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri condemned the attack and said the case has been taken up at the senior-most level with the Maharashtra government.
“Deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic incident in which Shri Mahesh Shelke, Manager (Retail Sales), IndianOil, lost his life in Maharashtra while discharging his official duties. He was a part of a team carrying out the takeover of an IndianOil retail outlet in Hingoli district when he was brutally attacked with a sharp weapon. I strongly condemn this heinous and unacceptable act of violence,” Puri said in a post on X.
The Indianoil Officers’ Association (IOOA) said the killing was unacceptable and demanded a 24-hour arrest window.
“Violence against an officer of a public sector organisation is absolutely unacceptable. IOOA strongly urge Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, IOC Management and the Government of Maharashtra to ensure a swift, impartial and time-bound investigation and arrest of the perpetrators within 24 hours, subject to due process of law,” the association said in a statement, adding that there must be “zero tolerance for violence against oil company officers performing their duty.”
The case recalls the 2005 killing of S Manjunath, a 27-year-old IOC sales officer shot dead in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, after inspecting a fuel outlet where irregularities had been detected. Oil company employee associations have long flagged the exposure of field officers who conduct inspections, raids and dealership takeovers, and have periodically asked for police escort protocols for enforcement actions at outlets where resistance is anticipated.
