HC asks if minister sourced oxygen from state allocation

A bench of justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli asked minister Imran Hussain to submit documents to support his claim that he bought the oxygen from Faridabad for distribution among the needy.

The Delhi high court on Monday asked whether oxygen was given to the state’s food and supplies minister Imran Hussain by the refillers supplying the gas to hospitals, nursing homes and individuals.

“We are not asking you to stop it.. Delhi government is saying it doesn’t have (oxygen).. if you are taking from them (refillers), you are curtailing supplies..which is not permissible,” the bench said.

A bench of justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli, while hearing a plea to stop the alleged “unauthorised”, “unlawful and “arbitrary distribution” of oxygen cylinders by the MLA in his constituency Ballimaran, asked Hussain to submit documents to support his claim that he bought the oxygen from Faridabad for distribution among the needy.

“We are not asking you to stop it.. Delhi government is saying it doesn’t have (oxygen).. if you are taking from them (refillers), you are curtailing supplies..which is not permissible,” it added.

Senior advocate Rahul Mehra, appearing for the Delhi government, told the court that oxygen was not procured from Delhi. The matter will now be heard on May 13.