Naveen Kalra, who is now accused of black-marketing oxygen concentrators, was patronised by the then Congress government. In 2006, a question was asked in the Rajya Sabha that inquired from the then Urban Development Minister, Ajay Maken, by Tarlochan Singh whether it was a fact that Union Urban Development Minister nominates persons to become permanent members of Delhi Golf Club. Further, the question asked which individuals were nominated to the Golf Club between 2004-05 and 2005-06 and what was criteria were followed in their nomination.

To this question, Ajay Maken from the Congress responded with the names of those who had been nominated to the Golf Club by the Congress government.

In his response, Ajay Maken responded that the government had nominated Robert Vadra, the national son-in-law, JM Hans, the head of the ENT Department at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and Navneet Kalra of Khan Market.

It further explained the Minister had recommended that the Club accepts two ‘out of turn’ members every year and one of the members that the government had nominated was Navneet Kalra, who is now accused of black-marketing oxygen concentrators amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Who is Navneet Kalra, the man accused of black-marketing oxygen concentrators in Delhi

A lookout notice has been issued on Monday against the main accused Navneet Kalra in the case of recovery 524 oxygen concentrators from three restaurants, including Khan Chacha, located in Delhi’s Khan Market. 

Meanwhile, the accused has filed an anticipatory bail plea in Delhi’s Saket court. The court refused to grant anticipatory bail to the accused.  Now the matter will be heard tomorrow.  The Court has asked the Delhi Police to file an reply on the anticipatory bail plea of ​​businessman Navneet Kalra.

Kalra, the main accused in the recovery of 524 oxygen concentrators from the hotels, is still absconding. Several teams of the crime branch have raided more than 20 places in Delhi, UP and Uttarakhand in search of the accused, but no clue has been found.

It is said by the Police official that Kalra mobile phone went off at his farm house in Chhatarpur shortly after raiding Khan Chacha Restaurant on Friday.  During the investigation, the police have learned that Navneet, along with his entire family, has left Delhi with two luxury cars and is suspected to be hiding in Uttarakhand.

A senior Delhi Police official said that the police team had raided Navneet’s farm house and Sainik Farm’s house in Chhatarpur, South Delhi, to investigate the case, but the accused was not found there.  Police has collected some evidence from both the places.

The police has come to know that the accused had sought a consultant from China through a private company. Nearly 150 of these contractors had sold  by the employees of Navneet Kalra.  Apart from this, the accused had also taken advance rupees in the name of the oxygen concentrators from many people. 

During the interrogation, his employees have told that his boss started the business of the Oxygen concentrator when the hotel was closed due to Covid.  Kalra hired the very special staff of the restaurant to sell the concentrator.  It was revealed when the police raided the restaurant bar of Lodi Colony on Wednesday.

From there, the police recovered 419 concentrators and arrested four people.  After questioning them, on Friday, raided Khan Chacha and Town Hall, the famous restaurant in Khan Market, recovered 105 concentrator machines and more.

The first raid was conducted after the police received a tipoff from a WhatsApp message where Navneet Kalra had sent his account details to his acquaintances in lieu of a concentrator. According to police, during their raid at Nege & Ju bar yesterday, they found one person working on a laptop and handling orders of oxygen concentrator by ‘Xpect Everything online portal’. Police have said that oxygen concentrators were taken via the online portal as well as through WhatsApp groups.

Navneet Kalra imported the oxygen concentrators from China at around Rs 20,000-25,000, and sold them in Delhi for at least Rs 70,000, making a huge profit when the demands for the machines are very high in the city due to the shortage of oxygen for Covid-19 patients. Reportedly, they have sold around 50 units so far.

Navneet Kalra owns several eateries in Delhi and owns the retail chain Dayal Opticals, which was founded by his father Dayal Dass Kalra. His restaurants among the most well known in Delhi, and are frequented by VIPs like celebrities and politicians.

References:

OpIndia