Delhi / Khan Chacha owner Navneet Kalra arrested in oxygen concentrator black marketing case

New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Sunday night arrested businessman Navneet Kalra for alleged black marketing and hoarding of oxygen concentrators amid the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said. The businessman had been absconding for over a week since more than 500 oxygen concentrators were seized from three restaurants owned by him in Khan Market area.

The oxygen concentrators are crucial medical equipment used for COVID-19 patients and are high in demand.

During a recent raid, 524 oxygen concentrators were recovered from three restaurants owned by Kalra — Khan Chacha, Nega Ju and Town Hall.

The seizure came at a time when Delhi was struggling with a record number of COVID-19 cases and deaths, along with a shortage of oxygen in hospitals and other places.

The police claimed that the concentrators were imported from China and were being sold at an exorbitant price of Rs 50,000 to 70,000 a piece as against its cost of Rs 16,000 to Rs 22,000.

The case was subsequently transferred to the Delhi Police Crime Branch.

On Friday, the Delhi High Court had declined to grant Kalra interim protection from arrest in the case. Kalra had moved the high court for anticipatory bail on May 13 late evening after a sessions court denied him the relief.