A Delhi Court on Saturday dismissed Delhi Police's plea seeking five days police custody of businessman Navneet Kalra in connection with a case relating to the alleged hoarding of oxygen concentrators in some restaurants of South Delhi.
Metropolitan Magistrate Vasundhara Azad rejected the police plea and said: "In my considered opinion, no police remand is warranted."
Public Prosecutor Atul Shrivastava, appearing for Delhi Police told the Court that the accused's custodial interrogation is required to confront him with some WhatsApp messages where people, who purchased oxygen concentrators, said that the products were not working and were useless.
Shrivastava said that police also have reports of AIIMS and Shri Ram Laboratory relating to oxygen concentrators.
Delhi Police told the Court that accused Navneet Kalra's custodial interrogation is required to confront him with data from the mobile phone, money trail and bank account details.
Shrivastava also submitted that police have to confront Kalra with the official of Classic Metal, who was earlier Covid-19 positive but is now negative.
Advocate Vineet Malhotra, appearing for Navneet Kalra, opposed the police plea seeking further remand and said that Kalra is fully cooperating in the investigation. Advocate Malhotra also said that he has been made a scapegoat unnecessarily.
Kalra, himself, submitted that he is an optician and the police had also got concentrators from him. He told the Court that neither was he manufacturer or importer of these machines. He also told the Court about many messages he had received saying that the machines bought from him helped in saving lives.
On Thursday, the Court also rejected the Delhi Police plea seeking extension of his custody and remanded Kalra into judicial custody.
The Court listed Kalra's bail plea to be heard on May 25.
Delhi Police has registered a case under various offences dealing with cheating, disobedience to order promulgated by a public servant, criminal conspiracy and violating provisions of Essential Commodities Act, 1955 followed by seizing of oxygen Concentrators from restaurants in South Delhi.
The Police busted an alleged oxygen concentrators black-marketing racket during a raid and recovered 105 concentrators from two upscale restaurants in the Khan Market area.
( With inputs from ANI )
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