While the acute dearth of medical oxygen continues to haunt residents of Delhi, a court in the national capital has directed the city police to release 12 seized oxygen concentrators and put them to immediate use to treat police, judicial officers and their family members only.
Metropolitan Magistrate Anuj Bahal was hearing an application filed by the Delhi Police for releasing the oxygen concentrators kept at Dwarka Police Station’s malkhana after it was seized on May 4 from two people namely, Vinay Agarwal and Akash Vashist, who are accused of black marketing them.
The Metropolitan Magistrate passed the order after the investigating officer told the court that many police officers were suffering from Coronavirus and the oxygen would be required to save their lives.
12 seized oxygen concentrators to be put to use to treat police officers, judges and their family members, orders Delhi court
According to the Delhi court order, of the 12 seized oxygen concentrators, two machines will be released to the DCP, Dwarka for treating infected police officials. Three oxygen concentrators will be released to the office of the principal district and sessions judge (HQ), Tis Hazari. Two will be given to the office of the principal district and sessions judge, Dwarka. Three oxygen concentrators will go to the office of the principal district and sessions judge, Saket, while the remaining two to Covid Health Centre at Delhi Judicial Academy, Dwarka.
While distributing the oxygen concentrators amongst police and judicial officers, the court noted: “It is pertinent to mention that judicial officers, due to their nature of work, are also exposed to the deadly coronavirus. A large number of judicial officers and their families in Delhi are infected with the Covid-19 virus and unfortunately, two members of the Delhi judiciary, namely family judge Kovai Venugopal and metropolitan magistrate, Dwarka Kamran Khan, have lost their lives due to the Covid infection”.
“In the best health interest of police officers, judicial officers and their family members, this court deems it fit to release and put to immediate use the 12 oxygen concentrators, seized in present FIR, for medication of police officers, judicial officers and their family members”, the court added.
Shortage of Oxygen in the national capital and AAP Govt’s failure to tackle the crisis
Ever since the second wave of COVID-19 has wreaked havoc in India, many states have been facing a shortfall in oxygen supplies. While most of the states are trying to emerge out of the quandary, Delhi Government has failed miserably to tackle the crisis.
Interestingly, while the Delhi govt is claiming that it is receiving less than half of what it needs, the fact is that the quantity of medical oxygen received by Delhi is more than what Mumbai consumed at a similar number of active Covid-19 cases.
