Free petrol promised, crowd braves rain in Chandigarh. Then this happened

Hundreds of vehicle owners gathered at a Chandigarh fuel pump for a promised 'petrol langar', but the event did not turn out as expected.Hundreds gathered at a Chandigarh petrol pump after the announcement of a 'petrol langar'. (Photo: X/ANI)A Chandigarh-based man’s promise of free petrol had gathered hundreds of vehicle owners at a fuel pump despite heavy rain. But the crowd soon realised the offer was not going as planned.According to ANI, a huge crowd turned up at a fuel pump in Sector 10 after Rakesh Trehan, also known as Raja D King, announced on social media that free petrol would be distributed. Apart from the main city, many from nearby areas also reached the fuel station and waited for hours to avail the free fuel. A litre of petrol in the city costs around Rs 101.54.But, the situation soon became difficult to manage as the crowd grew. The fuel station was eventually shut down, while police reached the spot to control the situation. Several vehicles were impounded for causing traffic disruptions and being parked improperly. Watch the videos:#WATCH | Amid heavy downpour, a large crowd of vehicle owners gathered at a fuel pump in Chandigarh Sector 10 for 'Petrol Langar', as announced by an individual - Rakesh Trehan on social media. However, no fuel was distributed. pic.twitter.com/QvxwTo8hZe— ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2026#WATCH | Chandigarh: A woman, Baby, says, "I had come here to get petrol. I had seen a video on Instagram, following which I came here to get petrol. But we did not get petrol. Attendants refused us and said that they do not have permission. They gave tokens to only 10-15 pic.twitter.com/62zXRekZE5— ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2026The chaos left many people angry after they spent hours waiting in the rain without receiving any fuel. Trehan had earlier organised cash and fast-food distributions and had also announced plans to distribute iPhones. For the ‘Petrol Langar’, his social-media announcement had stated that two and three-wheeler owners would receive fuel worth Rs 500, while four-wheeler owners would get fuel worth Rs 1,000. The distribution was initially planned for Sectors 7 and 10.However, following the confusion and disruption on August 18, Trehan announced that the ‘Petrol Langar’ had been postponed to August 21. He apologised for the inconvenience caused and asked people to wait for the rescheduled programme.In his latest update, Rakesh Trehan said the initiative would now continue for three days instead of being restricted to the originally announced programme. The announcement came after the first attempt failed miserably amid heavy rainfall in Chandigarh.- EndsPublished By: Srimoyee ChowdhuryPublished On: Aug 19, 2026 15:59 IST