New Delhi: With hoarding and black-marketing of COVID-19-related medicines and essential equipment taking place, the Delhi Police has now begun approaching courts for early release of such seized material, to be given away to COVID-19 centres or hospitals. In the latest major seizure, the Delhi Police recovered over 500 oxygen concentrators which had been stocked up by alleged black-marketeers in Lodhi Colony, Khan Market and other parts of New and South Delhi.With the detection of a large number of individuals and gangs involved in hoarding and black-marketing, the Delhi Police has been forced to look around ways for quick disposal of seized material. Normally in case of goods seized during raids, they become case property and are kept in police storage facilities or ‘malkhanas’. They can only be released upon directions from the courts where the matter is heard.Also read: Chart: India’s COVID-19 Crisis Leads To Black Market Price ExplosionBut since in case of Covid-related drugs and equipment, of which there is a major shortage in the market, and for which people are running around to save the lives of their loved ones, the police have started taking immediate instructions from the courts for effecting their release and circulation.Quicker disposal Talking to The Wire, deputy commissioner of police and public relations officer, Chinmay Biswal, said, “Now in case of such seizures, we are immediately filing applications before the courts concerned and getting this material released to the hospitals or Covid care centres.”He said attempts are being made to get such material released at the earliest. “Sometimes it is being released the very next day or at the most in two days.”In the case of a large number of oxygen concentrators seized recently too, he said, the same process would be followed.Representative image. Photo: PTI.Allegations against police and judicial officialsHowever, there have also been allegations against the Delhi Police that it has been trying to pass off the seized material to its own officers.A Delhi court on Saturday set aside a metropolitan magistrate’s order directing the release of 12 oxygen concentrators seized by the Delhi Police for use among police officers and judicial officers. The principal districts and sessions judge Narottam Kaushal also pulled up the metropolitan magistrate saying that in his “zeal to provide life-saving machines to frontline workers”, he forgot that a judge has to act like “a self-less, dispassionate saint”.It was on May 5 that the metropolitan magistrate Anuj Bahal had ordered the release of 12 oxygen concentrators, which were seized from two accused persons, Vinay Agarwal and Akash Vashist.Over 500 concentrators seized in a major raidIncidentally, following this seizure of oxygen concentrators, the Delhi Police made an even bigger seizure of over 500 machines. The police claimed that the prime accused, Navneet Kalra, who is still on the run, had imported the concentrators from China as far back as October 2020 and was selling them at up to four times the price at which they were bought.Most of the concentrators were recovered from properties owned by him in Khan Market and a farmhouse in South Delhi. The concentrators were found stored in the premises of his restaurants – Khan Chacha, Town Hall and Nege Ju. The case has since been handed over to the crime branch.Also read: ‘Check Black Marketing of Oxygen, Medicines; Address Distribution Issues’: HC to Delhi GovtEarlier this week, the Delhi Police had also released critical Covid-19 medicines, including Remdesivir injections, oxygen cylinders and other equipment, seized during raids on hoarders and black-marketers, to hospitals and Covid care centres. The police had then disclosed that it seized and supplied 86 Remdesivir injections to Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Deepchand Bandhu Hospital, and various other health centres and hospitals. It also provided 90 Fabipiravir tablets to Deepchand Bandhu Hospital.Seizure of concentrators and cylindersAs a large number of oxygen cylinders and concentrators have also been seized, they too are being released quickly. The police have already released 70 oxygen cylinders to Terapanth Ansari Hospital, World Brain Centre Hospital, Aarya Hospital and Bhagat Chandra Hospital in the southwest district and 60 oxygen concentrators – part of 170 seized by North Delhi police – to All India Institute of Medical Sciences. This apart 40 concentrators have been given to CAPF Hospital and remaining to Covid care centres.In Outer North District, where over 100 concentrators have been seized, the process of their release is on. Here, the police have already released 66 oxygen flow meters, 24 oxygen regulators and 63 pulse oximeters for their distribution to the health facilities.
