O2 concentrator hoarding: Delhi police opposes Kalra's bail plea in Court

This is in connection with a case relating to the alleged hoarding of oxygen concentrators

A Delhi Court on Saturday heard the bail plea of businessman Navneet Kalra, in connection with a case relating to the alleged hoarding of oxygen concentrators in which Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Shrivastava submitted that Kalra and other co-accused have tampered with the evidence.

The Delhi police have opposed the bail plea of Kalra in the Court.

Mentioning the AIIMS report, Shrivastava said, "Oxygen concentrator was neither premium nor of Germany. The concentrator may not be suitable for use of COVID-19 patients. Oxygen concentrators are useless."

Denying the fact that Kalra was doing charity, Prosecutor Shrivastava submitted that charity is not done for money and Kalra was not doing charity.

"Had he sold it at a cost price, it would have been charity. But they sold it at a much higher price," he pointed out.

The Delhi Court noted that Oxygen Concentrator has no margins fixed on cost.

To this, Shrivastava said that the government has liberalised the policy for 'needy persons' and not for 'greedy persons'.

The Prosecutor stated, "Their intention was to cheat and make a profit and this is a white-collar crime. They have also tampered with evidence and other co accused are not yet to be arrested and police have served them notice."

The Prosecutor urged the court to reject Kalra's bail plea.

Earlier, the court had dismissed the Delhi Police's plea seeking five days police custody of Navneet Kalra in connection with a case relating to the alleged hoarding of oxygen concentrators in some restaurant in South Delhi.

Kalra was arrested after Delhi Police has registered a case under various offenses dealing with cheating, disobedience to order promulgated by a public servant, criminal conspiracy, and violating provisions of Essential Commodities Act, 1955 followed by seizing of oxygen concentrators from restaurants in South Delhi.

The police have busted an alleged oxygen concentrators black-marketing racket during a raid and recovered 105 concentrators from two upscale restaurants in the Khan Market area.