Khan Market businessman Navneet Kalra who was absconding after 524 oxygen concentrators were recovered from three restaurants owned by him was arrested last night by the Delhi police.
Businessman Navneet Kalra, an accused in black marketing of oxygen concentrators has been arrested: Delhi Police sources pic.twitter.com/B1jJ12tujH
— ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2021
As per reports, Kalra was arrested from his brother-in-laws’ home in Gurugram.
The concentrators, a crucial medical equipment used for COVID-19 patients, were allegedly brought by Kalra from Matrix Cellular that had imported more than 7,000 machines from local vendors and Chinese companies and sold them at “exorbitant rates” to Covid patients and their families.
The police had informed that the accused imported the equipment at a cost of Rs 16,000 to Rs 22,000 and sold it for Rs 70,000 each.
Kalra was on a run since the day of the raid. On May 5, The Delhi police registered a case against Kalra under Section 420 (cheating), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.
An FIR was also registered under the Essential Commodities Act and Epidemic Diseases Act, for black marketing of oxygen cylinders prescribes maximum punishment for seven years.
The Delhi High Court on Friday had declined interim protection from arrest. A day prior to that, a sessions court had dismissed Kalra’s anticipatory bail plea, saying the allegations leveled against him are serious and custodial interrogation is required to “unearth the entire conspiracy”.
The raid
The Delhi police had issued a lookout notice for absconding Delhi restaurateur Navneet Kalra.
During a police raid, 32 oxygen concentrators with 9 and 5 litres capacity were found at the Nege & Ju bar, owned by Kalra. After police arrested three persons from the bar, they led the police to Khullar Farm in Mandi Village, where 387 more units were seized.
Subsequently, Delhi Police raided other businesses owned by Kalra and recovered more oxygen concentrators. They seized 9 concentrators from the Town Hall restaurant and bar at Lodhi Colony, and 96 units were found at the popular Khan Chacha eatery in Khan Market. Thus, a total of 524 units have been seized from restaurants owned by Kalra so far.
The first raid was conducted after the police received a tipoff from a WhatsApp message where Navneet Kalra had sent his account details to his acquaintances in lieu of a concentrator.
