The Delhi police arrested businessman Navneet Kalra, who is accused of illegally selling oxygen concentrators. Kalra was detained at his brother-in-residence law’s in Gurugram, according to reports.
524 oxygen concentrators were found in three of Kalra’s restaurants — Khan Chacha, Nega Ju, and Town Hall — during a recent raid, and he has been missing ever. COVID-19 patients need concentrators, which are critical medical devices. Matrix Cellular, which had imported the concentrators, had sold them to Kalra.
On May 5, a case was filed against Kalra under the Indian Penal Code’s Sections 420 (cheating), 188 (disobedience to a lawfully promulgated order by a public servant), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), and 34 (common intention). The FIR for black selling of oxygen cylinders, which was also filed under the Essential Commodities Act and the Epidemic Diseases Act, stipulates a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.
On May 5, DCP (south) Atul Kumar Thakur had announced that personnel of Lodhi Colony police station had recovered 419 oxygen concentrators during a search at Nege Ju Restaurant and Bar.
The same evening, Kalra switched off his cell phone. But before doing so, police found that Kalra had made multiple calls to two IPS officers, including a former Delhi Police Commissioner and a senior IAS officer. “Kalra and some others had left his home in two cars — a Range rover and a Thar jeep. His last location was near Damdama resort in Gurgaon. We found that he switched off his phone on May 5 and started using his domestic help’s phone to make calls on WhatsApp and Facebook. During investigation, police observed one unusual pattern of his brother-in-law, who has a farmhouse where he visited in a month, but for the last 10 days, he visited thrice. They got his exact location and conducted a raid on Sunday evening from where they arrested Kalra,” police sources said.
The Delhi High Court had on Friday declined to grant him interim protection from, agreeing with the reasons given by the trial court while denying him the relief. A sessions court had on Thursday dismissed Kalra’s anticipatory bail plea, saying the allegations against him were serious and his custodial interrogation was required to “unearth the entire conspiracy”.
