NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Friday declined to grant interim protection from arrest to Navneet Kalra, seeking anticipatory bail in connection with alleged black marketing of oxygen concentrators.
“I am persuaded by the reasons given by the trial court which is a valid ground for me not to grant any interim protection now,”
Justice Subramonium Prasad said while listing the matter for hearing on May 18.Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi told the court that the police was actively searching for Kalra and was visiting the homes of its relatives and close friends and it ought not to be done when the high court was hearing his plea for anticipatory bail.
He said he was not in a begging game with the authorities and was relying on the high court to protect his client’s rights as the police was out looking for him with a fanaticism as if he were a trophy. The day’s hearing couldn’t be held as ASG Raju urged the high court to hear it on later day as he had a lot of material, like information with regard to shell companies, which he needed to place before it and would require some time. The high court said a number of concentrators were seized from his properties and price stickers, including blank ones, were found at the site.
It is Kalra’s contention the Essential Commodities Act is not applicable in the instant case as no price was fixed for oxygen concentrators imported from abroad. The high court also asked Kalra how many concentrators were sold by him prior to seizure of the 105 units from two of his restaurants. It also said that according to the trial court, Kalra had sold spurious and inferior concentrators at a higher price.
Singhvi said he will provide data regarding sale of the concentrators on the next date.