The Delhi High Court on Tuesday slammed the Arvind Kejriwal government for utter mismanagement of oxygen supply to Delhi hospitals and failing to curb black marketing of oxygen.
The black marketeers of essential supplies seem to be flourishing in this pandemic by taking undue advantage of people running helter-skelter trying to save the lives of their loved ones. A Twitter thread that has gone viral on social media exposes the government’s incompetence to curb such activities.
In a shocking incident, a Twitter user by the name Vinayak Tripathi uploaded a thread of his appalling experience with a black marketeer of oxygen cylinders in Delhi. Tripathi in his Tweet mentions that he had contacted a person named Ranveer for an oxygen cylinder to be procured immediately. For the same, he was asked to make a payment of Rs 20,000 in advance and the remaining amount of Rs 15,000 was to be paid after the cylinder was delivered.
OXYGEN BLACK MARKETING
— VINAYAK TRIPATHI #IndiaWillWin (@belikevinayak) April 29, 2021
कल मैंने ऑक्सिजन सिलेंडर के लिए “रणवीर” नामक इस व्यक्ति से बात की। जब मैंने कहा मुझे तुरंत सिलेंडर चाहिए उस पर इसने मुझे कॉल किया और कहा की “आप 20 हज़ार एडवांस भेज दो मैं 4 घंटे में होम डिलिवरी करवा दूँगा।
15 हज़ार सिलेंडर मिलने के बाद देना।1/6@DelhiPolice pic.twitter.com/XsmHqXsi5B
To this Tripathi informed Ranveer that he does not need a home delivery and can come to pick the cylinder from the warehouse. Ranveer in his response said that the warehouse is shut as the cylinders are being sold in black and a ‘not available’ sign has been put on the gate to escape the police. He then pressured Tripathi to transfer the advance amount at the earliest.
मेरे ये कहने पे कि मैं आ कर ले जाता हूँ क्यूँकि हमारे पास समय नहीं है, रणवीर खुलेआम कहता है “अगर आप एड्रेस पे जाओगे तो उसके गेट पे हमने साफ़-साफ़ ‘Not Available’ लिखा है क्यूँकि हम पुलिस और सरकार से बच के बेच रहे हैं। चाहिए तो मेरे अकाउंट में एडवांस भेजना होगा।”2/6@HemanNamo
— VINAYAK TRIPATHI #IndiaWillWin (@belikevinayak) April 29, 2021
On asking for a receipt Ranveer allegedly disconnected the call saying “take the cylinder if you want or we have people lined up for it.”
मैंने कहा पैसे देने में कोई समस्या नहीं है लेकिन मुझे उसकी रसीद कैसे मिलेगी?
— VINAYAK TRIPATHI #IndiaWillWin (@belikevinayak) April 29, 2021
इस पर ये बड़ी बेशर्मी से कहता है कि “हम ब्लैक में दे रहे हैं और आपको लेना है लो वरना मेरे पास लोगों की लाइन लगी हुई है।” और कॉल काट देता है। 3/6@AdityaRajKaul @sudhirchaudhary @republic @maryashakil
Ranveer instantly sent a screenshot of bank details which were in the name of one Kirti Singh and informed that he has completed 150 deliveries since yesterday and if Tripathi wants one, he should transfer the amount immediately.
फिर वो मुझे एक महिला के बैंक अकाउंट का स्क्रीनशॉट भेजता है और साथ में एक वॉईज़ नोट भेजता है – “सर कल से 150 सिलेंडर डिलिवर करवा चुका हूँ आपको लेना है तो एडवांस भेजिए नहीं तो मुझे कोई ज़ोर ज़बरदस्ती नहीं है।”4/6@rohanduaTOI @arunbothra @abhijitmajumder @ABVPDelhi @TajinderBagga
— VINAYAK TRIPATHI #IndiaWillWin (@belikevinayak) April 29, 2021
Distressed by the incident, Tripathi has appealed to the administration and government to take cognizance of the matter and arrest the person named Ranveer under the “Cheating, Epidemic Disease & Essential Commodities Act”.
प्रशासन को इसका संज्ञान ले इस व्यक्ति पे त्वरित कार्यवाही कर इसे “Cheating, Epidemic Disease & Essential Commodities Act” के तहत गिरफ़्तार करना चाहिए।6/6
— VINAYAK TRIPATHI #IndiaWillWin (@belikevinayak) April 29, 2021
ये मामला NCR से सम्बंधित है।@CeoNoida @cmohry @police_haryana @gurgaonpolice @AmitKhatriIAS @pranavmahajan @DCPNewDelhi
Delhi Court orders Kejriwal government to act against black marketing
The Delhi High Court has directed the AAP government to initiate a crackdown on black marketing of oxygen cylinders and essential drugs such as Remdesivir, Dexamethasone and Fabiflu.
The court has ordered the state government to take records from all pharmacies on the sale of critical drugs needed for the treatment of Covid-19 and conduct audits to determine if they were being sold on the black market.
The court also instructed the Delhi government to act against oxygen suppliers, refillers or hospitals and nursing homes involved in the illegal trade of oxygen.
Crackdown on black marketing
In a crackdown on black marketing, Delhi police arrested a 56-year-old man under the “Cheating, Epidemic Disease & Essential Commodities Act” for selling oxymeters, gauge regulators and other essential medical equipment at exorbitant rates.
CRACKDOWN| On #blackmarketing of med equipment for #COVID19 treatment #DelhiPolice Central district team arrest 56yr-old man selling oxymeters, flow met eg, gauge reg etc at exorbitant rates even as #IndiaFightsCOVID19 under Cheating, Epidemic Disease & Essential Commodities Act. pic.twitter.com/4qpVOxGjZj
— #DilKiPolice Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) April 28, 2021
In Uttar Pradesh, about 44 people have been arrested by the government for black-marketing essential medicines. As many as 877 Remdesivir injections, 340 oxygen cylinders, mobile phones and cash of Rs 9,42,660 have been recovered from them.
