Patients are assisted by a shared pipeline of oxygen provided at a Gurudwara in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad. Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal The Delhi High Court on Friday ordered immediate release of 170 oxygen concentrators seized by the Delhi Police on Thursday. The court took note of the news reports stating that the concentrators were being sold on black market at an exorbitant price and were seized from North Delhi’s Shastri Nagar by the investigating agency.
The division bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said that it is the need of the hour that concentrators are released at earliest by competent authority without any delay. The court had yesterday passed orders regarding the process to be followed after seizure of remedesvir and oxygen cylinders from black marketers
“We direct the state to take immediate steps in this regard in terms of our order passed yesterday. Let complaince be reported at 1 PM,” said the court on Friday after it was informed about the news reports.
On Thursday, the court directed the district collectors, who are empowered under the Essential Commodities Act, to pass orders for release of seized cylinders and remedesvir as soon as they are recovered so that the medicine do not lose their effectiveness. The court also directed the investigating officers to immediately inform the district collectors whenever any seizure of COVID-19 drugs is made and also ascertain the genuineness of medicine. The medicine should also be immediately put in a refrigerated environment, it added.
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