Oxygen concentrator case: Naveen Kalra’s arms licence suspended

Kalra owns three restaurants, from where police had recovered more than 500 oxygen concentrators. On May 5, DCP (south) Atul Kumar Thakur had announced that personnel of Lodhi Colony police station had recovered 419 oxygen concentrators during a search at Nege Ju Restaurant and Bar. “Four men, including the manager of the restaurant, were arrested. On the instance of one of the accused, 96 more oxygen concentrators were recovered from Khan Chacha Restaurant and nine from Town Hall restaurant in Khan Market,” Thakur said.

On Saturday, a Delhi court granted bail to Kalra and said the accused not joining the probe pending a decision on his anticipatory bail pleas, in the absence of any interim protection by superior courts, does not mean he should be denied relief.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Arun Kumar Garg, in his order, wrote that this case is primarily based on documentary evidence and since “all relevant documents have already been seized by the investigation officer from the possession/at instance of accused, there is no substance in the plea of State that accused may tamper with evidence”. “Even otherwise, the said apprehension of the prosecution, regarding tampering of evidence by the accused, may be allayed by imposing appropriate conditions upon the accused at the time of grant of bail…,” the order read.

Kalra was granted bail subject to furnishing two surety bonds and a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh each.