New Delhi, (Samajweekly) A Delhi court on Tuesday declined to grant interim protection from coercive action to businessman Navneet Kalra in connection with a case with the seizure of oxygen concentrators from his restaurants.
Kalra had moved the Saket court seeking anticipatory bail in the matter. Special Judge, Saket Courts, Sumit Dass ordered that Kalra’s anticipatory bail application be listed before the District and Sessions Judge on Wednesday at 10 a.m.
Public Prosecutor Atul Shrivastava submitted that the matter should be heard by the court which is dealing with the matter, which is being probed by the Crime Branch.
He also contended before the court that it should decide on the jurisdiction to hear the bail application of Kalra. Initially, the case was lodged at the Lodhi Colony police station, but later transferred to the Crime Branch. Kalra’s advocate Vineet Malhotra contended before the court that when his client filed the anticipatory bail, the roster was of this court.
On Monday, a Delhi court had refused to grant any stay on coercive action against Kalra in connection with hoarding of oxygen concentrators, which were seized by the Delhi Police from his restaurant “Khan Chacha”. The Crime Branch had launched a manhunt against him.
A special judge had directed the investigating officer to file the reply on Kalra’s application by Tuesday. Kalra moved the court seeking interim relief of no coercive action by Delhi Police and also denied the allegations of hoarding of oxygen concentrators.
The Delhi Police had registered a case under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and also the Essential Commodities Act for recovery of over 500 oxygen concentrators from some restaurants in the national capital last week.
During the course of the hearing, the public prosecutor had opposed the pre-arrest bail application. The counsel for the accused submitted before the court that his client is being “hounded”.
