GURUGRAM: Police and the district drug control officer raided a godown in Badshapur on Wednesday and seized some 260 oxygen cylinders, stockpiled by a gang that has been milking the crisis to make hay in the black market.
Cops said the gang was sourcing the cylinders from Maharashtra and selling each for Rs 35,000, three times the standard price. Three members of the gang have been arrested.
The racket was busted on a tip-off. “Once we got an input, a police team and the district drug control officer conducted a raid in the godown in Badshapur’s Aklimpur village. We seized a truck loaded with oxygen cylinders near the godown and nabbed the three members of the gang that was selling the same at inflated prices to people in need,” said ACP (crime) Preet Pal Sangwan.
Those arrested have been identified as Vikas Maan (32), a resident of Gurugram, Shiv Kumar (33) from Karnal, and Prabhat Kumar (31) from Maharashtra. During investigation, it was found that the accused had purchased around 470 oxygen cylinders from Maharashtra recently. Of these, 260 oxygen cylinders have been seized, police said.
“They were selling the cylinders for Rs 35,000 each against the usual price of Rs 12,000.
We are trying to find out how the gang managed to procure 470 cylinders of oxygen without having a trade licence and the mandatory approvals,” the ACP said.
A case has been registered against the three accused under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 420 (cheating), 120B (criminal investigation) of IPC and under the Drugs and Cosmetic Act, 1940, Essential Commodities Act, 1955, and Disaster Management Act, 2005, at Badshapur police station.
Last week some eight patients died at two different hospitals after the two medical facilities ran out of oxygen. Most of the small hospitals in the city are struggling to get regular oxygen supply, while many hospitals have stopped taking patients for unavailability of the life-saving gas. Scores of people are putting out SOS messages on social media daily, demanding oxygen cylinders for those in home isolation. “We are making all efforts to check black marketing of oxygen cylinders in the city,” the ACP said.
45 held for black marketing
Haryana Police have registered 21 FIRs in connection with black-marketing of oxygen, oxygen cylinders and Remdesivir injections across the state amid surge in Covid-19.
A total of 45 persons have been arrested in these cases, while 77 oxygen cylinders and 101 vials of Remdesivir have been recovered.
Director general of police (DGP) of Haryana, Manoj Yadava said on Wednesday the demand for oxygen and anti-viral drug Remdesivir had gone up after a massive outbreak of the Covid-19.
Taking advantage of the situation, many unscrupulous persons and employees of private hospitals indulged in the black-marketing of oxygen and Remdesivir, which are in high demand for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.
According to him, since April 23, eight FIRs have been registered in connection with black-marketing of oxygen and oxygen cylinders in six different districts of Haryana and 12 accused persons have been arrested in these cases, which led to the recovery of 77 oxygen cylinders.
Similarly, 33 accused have been arrested who engaged in black-marketing of Remdesivir in eight different districts after the recovery of 101 vials from their possession.
