Activist Charged ₹35 Lakh in Customs for Importing Oxygen Concentrators That Saved Lives During Covid Pandemic 5 Years Ago

Key Points:

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC was a tough time for many families who lost their loved ones in the lockdown. Many patients had to suffer for oxygen tanks as nationwide demands soar and many even lost their lives due to the shortage.

Amid the government's efforts to secure oxygen tanks, NGOs and activists also took independent actions to import oxygen tanks to save lives. The situation was so dire that in 2021 the central government had waived customs duties and health cess on oxygen and oxygen-related equipment for three months to give some relief amid shortages. 

Vinay Kumar, a Bengaluru-based civic activist, was one of these individuals who secured these life-saving supplies in 2021. However, according to The News Minute, he is now being asked to pay custom duty as authorities claim tariff shouldn’t have been levied on items of “personal use.”

Customs Authorities demand ₹35 lakh from Activist

In March 2026, Bengaluru activist Vinay Kumar received a consultative letter from the Customs Audit Commissionerate in Mumbai. The letter reportedly said that oxygen concentrators imported in May 2021 were wrongly classified under a customs tariff that attracted no duty during the pandemic. Now, Customs demand ₹35.38 lakh, saying that the consignment should have been classified as ‘personal use,’ eligible for customs duty and GST.

The letter dated March 5, 2026, was sent after a post-clearance audit and gives details of the oxygen concentrators getting cleared through Mumbai’s Air Cargo Complex in May 2021, using a “default” Import Export Code meant for personal imports. According to customs authorities, the goods were cleared with nil Basic Customs duty, Social Welfare Surcharge and Integrated GST. 

After the audit, it was concluded that it should have been classified under a different tariff category, applicable to customs duty of 35 per cent, social welfare surcharge of 10 per cent and IGST of 28 per cent resulting in total levy of duty worth ₹35,38,945. The Customs department has asked for payment of the alleged missing charges along with interest within 15 days or a detailed response explaining why the amount should not be recovered.

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Vinay Kumar’s Response

In conversation with The News Minute, Vinay Kumar said he sent his response to the consultative letter on March 18, 2026  along with supporting documents. However, there has been no acknowledgement or reply from the authorities, keeping him in the dark about whether he still needs to pay this unreasonable tax.

"We thought we responded and that's it, nothing else to do," he told The News Minute. "But then when I noticed that other people are also facing this, I reached out for help on social media."

In May 2021, when hospitals across the nation were struggling to fulfill oxygen demands due to rapidly rising Covid patients, the government had waived customs duties and health cess on oxygen  and related life-saving supplies. Apart from that, the centre had also exempted custom duties and health cess on oxygen  and related supplies for import for personal use until July 31, 2021, making the recent letter even more shocking for Vinay Kumar.

Vinay had launched a fundraiser to procure oxygen concentrators from Germany and the United States in May 2021. Vinay’s efforts brought over 700 concentrators to India, which were distributed free of cost across Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and other states during the pandemic. 

Rejecting the claim made in the letter sent by Customs agency that the concentrators were for personal use, Vinay told The News Minute, “We had clearly mentioned that it is not for personal use. Even today we have 100% traceability of every device. We have proof of giving it for free, we have signatures from every beneficiary who has taken it.

Vinay claims all supporting documents relating to distribution was shared  with authorities in 2021 itself. He believes the periodic audit happens once in five years, and they have only now flagged it erroneously.

Other Activists Also Asked to Pay Customs

The concerns grew when more social media users and activists, who had imported oxygen concentrators  in 2021 and donated them free of cost to public and health institutions, also received similar letters.

According to a Reddit user he was also sent a letter that demanded ₹14 lakh, including differential duty and penalties. While the Reddit user claims he had submitted the documents of public distribution at the time, the Customs authorities asked for a certificate from a designated state nodal officer, which was not submitted within the prescribed period after import.

Vinay expressed his shock hearing the cases of other activists. He told The News Minute, “It is ridiculous that after five years this has come up. Maybe it is the audit that happens every five years. Maybe it is miscommunication between departments. It must also be noted that this was five years ago and Covid was an exceptional situation and many new rules were made. We still don't know the exact reason.”

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