Prateek Tanmay
3 min readNew DelhiJun 2, 2026 03:34 PM IST
A petrol pump in Kanpur has come under the scanner after a car owner claimed he was billed for 52 litres of petrol despite driving a vehicle with a fuel tank capacity of 45 litres.
The controversy surfaced after vehicle owner Charan Singh’s video went viral. In the clip, Singh alleged that attendants at a petrol station in Harsh Nagar filled his newly purchased Volkswagen Virtus with more fuel than the tank could possibly accommodate.
According to Singh, the car’s fuel gauge was close to empty when he arrived at the pump. He claimed attendants first dispensed around 41 litres of petrol before briefly stopping. When he questioned the interruption, they allegedly told him that larger quantities are often filled in two stages. The refuelling then continued.
However, Singh said he was stunned when the final receipt showed that 52 litres of petrol had been dispensed. Since the Virtus is listed with a 45-litre fuel tank, he argued that the figure simply did not add up.
Watch the video:
45 लीटर की टंकी में 52 लीटर से ज्यादा पेट्रोल डाल दिया..!
— मिच्च मसाला (@micchamasala) May 31, 2026
The complaint prompted an inspection by the District Supply Department. District Supply Officer Rakesh Kumar reportedly, however, said that officials found no fault in the petrol pump’s dispensing machines during the on-site check. He also suggested that the vehicle’s manual could account for some additional fuel capacity beyond the stated tank size, according to an Aaj Tak report.
That explanation, however, failed to convince the complainant. When asked how a 45-litre tank could accommodate nearly 10 litres extra, Kumar again referred to the vehicle manual but did not provide a detailed clarification, the report said.
Questions were also raised about the timing of the inspection. Singh reportedly lodged the complaint on Saturday, but officials visited the petrol pump only on Monday. He argued that the delay may have given the station enough time to address or hide any possible irregularities before checks were carried out.
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Meanwhile, information cited in the report from a Volkswagen-authorised outlet appeared to support Singh’s concerns. The dealership’s manager reportedly said technicians believed the model was unlikely to hold 52 litres of fuel and that any additional capacity beyond the stated 45 litres would typically be limited to around four or five litres.
Singh has also alleged possible collusion between local authorities and the petrol pump because of the delayed inspection and the clean chit given to the machines.
