Delhi police gives clean chit to politicians hoarding medicines, O2 in initial report

The Delhi Police in its initial enquiry against various politicians including BJP MP Gautam Gambhir and Delhi Congress chief Anil Kumar has given them a clean chit and said that "they were actually helping people."

"...the enquiry conducted so far has revealed that all the persons alleged to have been hoarding medicine etc, have been actually helping people in getting medical aid in form of medicine, oxygen, plasma or hospital bed, the person enquired into have not charged any money for the help provided, and thus no one has been defrauded," said an affidavit filed by the city police before the Delhi High Court. 

"The help has been voluntary and without discrimination," said the affidavit signed by ACP Crime Branch Manoj Dixit.

The politicians named in the affidavit filed by the police are: BJP MP Gautam Gambhir, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee chief Chaudhary Anil Kumar, AAP MLA Dilip Pandey, Delhi Congress Vice President Ali Mehndi, BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana, Delhi Congress chief Ashok Bhagel and ex Congress MLA Mukesh Sharma. 

The affidavit has been filed before a division bench of the high court presided over by Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Jasmeet Singh which is hearing a petition filed by Advocates Virag Gupta and Gaurav Pathak alleging hoarding of medicines, other equipments including oxygen concentrators and cylinders by politicians.

The police through this affidavit has sought six weeks more time to complete its investigation against the said persons. The petition would now come up for further hearing on Monday. 

The matter is heard along with the batch of petitions regarding the management of the health emergency that has erupted due to the outbreak of second wave of COVID-19 in the national capital.

It may be noted that,days after offering free 'Fabiflu' tablets to those in need, BJP MP Gautam Gambhir has been served with a notice from the Delhi Police seeking a reply over the distribution of the drug used to treat COVID-19 patients. The East Delhi MP found himself on a sticky wicket after he offered Fabiflu for free to those seeking it as several accused him of hoarding the drug at a time when the national capital has been facing an acute shortage of medical equipment to battle the lethal second wave of Coronavirus.