A Delhi court today dismissed the Delhi Police’s plea for five-days Police Custody remand of accused Navneet Kalra in a case of hoarding and black-marketing of oxygen concentrators, saying that police custody remand was not warranted at this stage.
Saket court Metropolitan Magistrate Vasundhra Azad said, “I am dismissing this application, PC remand of the accused is not needed at the moment.”
The Court was hearing an application filed by Delhi Police, seeking five-day Police Custody remand of Kalra, an accused in the case of hoarding and black-marketing of Oxygen Concentrators and other Medical Equipment, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Shrivastava, appearing for Delhi Police, submitted, “Accused mobile phone seized and kept in Maidan Garhi Police Station. We have sent the same to FSL and a mirrored image is prepared. Data is available with us and needed to be confronted with the accused.”
“The data of the mobile phone need to be confronted with the accused to reach the conclusion. It is the law of the land that after 15 days, we cannot take custody of the accused…we need to confront him (accused) with the persons, who have purchased these machines,” Shrivastava added.
Mr Shrivastava further alleged that the Oxygen Concentrators are defective and working only to the capacity of 28 percent. We have taken the opinion of an AIIMS doctor, who said that Oxygen Concentrator is useless. To this, Mr Azad said, what does this has to do with the police remand?
Advocate Vineet Malhotra, appearing for Kalra said, “I am cooperating, as the APP has also said. Kindly check the remand application. When the State want to prosecute, it should not be adversarial.”
Mr Malhotra further contended, “Also, the same oxygen Concentrator being purchased by Salman Khan. Prejudice is being created by this Shri Ram Lab. I will show how…Milord, tally the lab report with the website of the company of Oxygen Concentrator.”
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Whereas, Kalra said, “They are just putting on me as I am famous. I also replace the machines, if they are not working. I am not the manufacturer of these machines.”
The Court dismissed the Delhi Police application seeking Police Custody of Kalra, and listed the bail application filed by Kalra on Tuesday, May 25, at 1400 hrs.
Earlier, the Court had sent him to 14-days Judicial Custody and directed to produce him on June 3, 2021 before the Concerned Court/Duty Metropolitan Magistrate.
Source: ILNS