Delhi's 'Khan Chacha' Restaurant Owner Arrested In Oxygen Scam Case

Navneet Kalra's application seeking protection from arrest had been dismissed by a Delhi Court last week.

Delhi-based restaurateur Navneet Kalra, accused of hoarding and selling oxygen concentrators at massively inflated prices, has been arrested from a farmhouse in neighbouring Gurgaon. Police were trying to locate Mr Kalra's whereabouts since over 500 oxygen concentrators had been recovered from his three Khan Market restaurants - Khan Chacha, Nega Ju and Town Hall - this month. The equipment that can generate high-concentration oxygen from the air, have been in high demand because of the medical oxygen shortage in the national capital. Last week, Mr Kalra approached a Delhi Court seeking protection from arrest. He said he was willing to join the investigation.The court, however, said allegations against him were serious in nature and custodial interrogation was required. Rejecting the bail request, the court said the mobile phone of the accused, which reportedly contains incriminating WhatsApp chats with customers and details of calls made to the co-accused, needed to be seized.The judge also stressed at the possibility of the accused tampering with evidence or intimidating the prosecution witnesses.On last Wednesday, the Public Prosecutor had alleged that the oxygen concentrators Mr Kalra had been selling were of poor quality and not suited for Covid treatment as they could generate only 20.8 per cent pure oxygen.A case under sections that deal with cheating, criminal conspiracy and common intention was registered against Mr Kalra on May 5.Four employees of Matrix Cellular company, including its CEO and vice president, and one employee of Town Hall restaurant, were also arrested in the case - all them have been released on bail.Delhi has been dealing with a devastating spell of coronavirus infections, which has triggered shortages of medical oxygen, hospital beds and essential medicines.Reports of the black marketing of oxygen cylinders and essential drugs have emerged from all across the country.