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Updated May 11th, 2021 at 21:58 IST

Khan Market O2 Racket Case: Delhi court refuses to grant interim relief to Navneet Kalra

A Delhi Court on Monday refused to grant any interim relief to Navneet Kalra in connection with a case relating to the hoarding of oxygen concentrators.

Reported by: Gargi Rohatgi
PTI, Instagram-@NavneetKalra
PTI, Instagram-@NavneetKalra | Image:self
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A Delhi Court on Monday refused to grant any interim relief to Navneet Kalra in connection with a case relating to the hoarding of oxygen concentrators in a restaurant in South Delhi. Earlier, Navneet Kalkra had appealed for interim relief from the police's coercive action with the seizure of oxygen concentrators from his restaurants. To this, the Special Judge Sumit had adjourned the matter for May 11, asking Delhi Police to file a reply on Kalra's anticipatory bail plea. 

Khan Market Oxygen Racket: Navneet Kalra seeks anticipatory bail

Earlier, in the Khan Market Oxygen racket, businessman and prime accused Navneet Kalra moved an anticipatory bail application in Delhi's Saket Court. The bail has been moved by Kalra fearing his arrest in the black-marketing and hoarding of Oxygen concentrators in the national capital. 

Delhi Police sources have stated that they will strongly oppose his bail plea and seek his custodial interrogation since they wanted to record his testimony in the case. The Delhi Police also wants to seek possession of his devices such as his mobile phone, laptops, etc. to bust the chain of the racket. 

Meanwhile, the manhunt for Navneet Kalra is on and a lookout circular has now been issued by the Delhi Crime Branch. The latest intel had reported the Delhi-based businessman's whereabouts in Uttarakhand where he reportedly fled in two driver-less luxury cars. Raids have been conducted in both states to nab the accused.

Oxygen concentrators sold for Rs 70K

Yesterday, the Delhi Police had seized invoices that revealed that Oxygen concentrators were being sold for as high as Rs 70,000 under the black market business. As per the invoices, exorbitant prices of nearly 3-4 folds were being charged for each Oxygen concentrator which had been procured in bulk for not more than Rs 14,000 to Rs 16,000 from Hong Kong and China. Amid the shortage and Oxygen crisis, these were being sold in India between Rs 50,000- Rs 70,000. Nearly 5,000 such Oxygen concentrators were sold in April 2021, and another 1,800 in May at the hiked prices.

Khan Market Oxygen racket

The racket, currently being probed by the Delhi Police's Crime Branch, came to the limelight after 500 fake oxygen concentrators were seized from popular restaurants in the city including Khan Chacha, a famous and age-old eatery in the Khan Market area of the capital. This was followed by several more raids and the arrest of a number of persons in relation to the black-marketing and hoarding. As per the investigation, orders were initially taken through the X Factor application following which orders from other sources including social media were accepted. 

The Delhi Police has also conducted raids at London-based businessman Gaggan Duggal's farmhouses at Fatehpur Beri and Sainik Farms. As per sources, as many as 650 Oxygen concentrators were issued in the name of Duggal who allegedly took Kalra's help in peddling them via restaurants in the Khan market amid the Oxygen crisis. Delhi Police's Public Relations Officer (PRO) Chinmoy Biswal said that a total of 303 FIRs have so far been registered in connection with several incidents.

(Image: PTI, Instagram-@NavneetKalra)

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Published May 11th, 2021 at 21:39 IST

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