Navneet Kalra sends legal notice to India Today alleging defamation in relation to news telecast on Oxygen Concentrators case

Navneet Kalra, owner of iconic Khan Chacha and Town Hall restaurants in Khan Market, New Delhi has sent a legal notice to India Today Network against the alleged imputations made by the channel against Kalra through its news broadcasts in relation to the alleged Oxygen Concentrators black marketing Case..Kalra is an accused in the case and was recently granted bail by a Delhi court on May 29..The notice by Kalra warned of action for criminal defamation if the India Today refuses to express its regret for its imputations against Kalra through print media and their news channel in relation to the case..The notice said that Kalra intends to institute criminal proceedings under Sections 499/500 of the IPC and claim damages to the tune of of Rs 5 Crore if India Today fails to apologise..It stated that the client was shocked by the “false, scandalous, unfounded and malicious attack on his character and behaviour as an individual, as a businessman and as a citizen” in the newscast relayed repeatedly by the Network..The entire version was “not only defamatory, vicious in tenor and tone but was also full of venom and acid speech” which made the attack more gross and damaging to his honour.The notice said that he was labelled a “criminal” deliberately and falsely with the intention to harm his reputation..“You deliberately made these false statements fully knowing that there was in fact and in law no hoarding, that essential commodities Act did not apply and there was no notification as alleged but you made all these allegations to defame and harm the reputation of our client. You did all this knowing that the matter was still under investigation and that till date no chargesheet was filed,” the notice alleged. .The notice called upon the news channel to express regret to its viewers for the imputations against Kalra failing which he would institute legal proceedings including under Sections 499/500 of the Indian Penal Code. .Kalra was arrested by the police on the evening of May 16 from his brother-in-law’s farmhouse in Gurugram. A case was filed under Sections 3 and 7 of the Essential Commodities Act, among other provision of law, against Kalra after the Delhi Police recovered oxygen concentrators from "Khan Chacha" and other restaurants owned by him.The police claimed that the imported concentrators were being sold in the black market amid the COVID-19 crisis.After his arrest, Kalra was thereafter remanded to three days' police custody.He was later sent to 14-day judicial custody in the case by the Metropolitan Magistrate after it opined that no case was made out for further extension of police custody.He was later granted bail by Arun Kumar Garg, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Saket Courts.