Greeva Garg–
Businessman Navneet Kalra informed Delhi High Court that the Delhi Police Licensing Unit had canceled the licenses of two restaurants Khan Chacha and Town Hall, owned by him.
Navneet Kalra was alleged for black marketing of oxygen concentrators during the second wave of Covid-19. Currently, he is out on bail.
Advocate Gurinder Pal, appearing for Navneet Kalra, made the submissions before the vacation bench headed by Justice Rekha Palli against the cancellation of licenses of Kalra’s two eateries.
Earlier, a plea was filed by Kalra, challenging the order of temporary suspension of registration of Khan Chacha and Town Hall, issued by the Joint Commissioner of Police, Licensing Unit in May.
Kalra, in the petition, had argued that the suspension was contrary to the provisions of law. He said, “There is no provision for suspending the registration certificate merely on registration of an FIR.”
In a status report filed in the Court, the licensing authority has stated that “Kalra has sought renewal of his license for 2020-21 by way of an application on October 15, 2020. It was, however, rejected on May 17, 2020. Kalra again applied for renewal, but it received a report from the local police about the recovery of oxygen concentrators from one of his restaurants. A case was registered and he was issued a show-cause notice to cease the operations of both his restaurants.”
In pursuance of the show-cause notice for temporary suspension, the final orders for cancellation of registration were passed on July 23 by the licensing authority.
Following subsequent arrest and bail, the authority heard Kalra in person on July 23. However, the authority observed that “Kalra’s plea is non-convincing and non-satisfactory. Therefore, the registration certificate is canceled.”
Justice Rekha Palli, after noting the submission, said that “It would open for Kalra to assail the orders dated July 23, per law.”
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