Former AAP MLA Naresh Balyan has withdrawn his bail plea from Delhi High Court. This comes after Delhi Police filed a supplementary chargesheet under MCOCA naming him as an accused.
New Delhi: On May 7, Former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA, Naresh Balyan, who was arrested under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), has now withdrawn his bail plea from the Delhi High Court.
This decision was taken after the Delhi Police recently filed a supplementary charge sheet in the trial court related to the case.
Balyan’s lawyer informed the Delhi High Court about this development during a scheduled hearing on Wednesday. The bail plea was listed for hearing on the same day.
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Earlier this week, a Delhi court accepted the supplementary chargesheet filed by the Delhi Police in the ongoing organised crime investigation involving Balyan.
This new chargesheet has named four accused individuals—Sahil alias Poli, Vijay alias Kalu, Jyoti Prakash alias Baba, and Naresh Balyan himself.
All four were arrested as part of the same case under the MCOCA law, which is aimed at tackling organized criminal activities.
The entire investigation stems from a larger case involving an alleged crime syndicate reportedly led by gangster Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu.
Authorities believe this gang was involved in multiple unlawful activities, prompting the application of MCOCA.
Naresh Balyan was taken into police custody on December 4, 2024, in connection with this case. While he was previously granted bail in a different extortion case, the current case under MCOCA has led to his continued detention.
As per legal norms under MCOCA, the court had earlier granted an extension of 60 days to the investigating agency to complete their inquiry against Balyan.
In earlier proceedings, Balyan’s legal team had sought urgent relief from the court. His lawyers argued strongly for a faster hearing and pointed out that the former MLA had already spent nearly four months behind bars.
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They stated that the case was baseless and unsupported by any concrete evidence.
As per the legal team,
“there was no shred of evidence” against him, and they described the case as “completely frivolous”.
They further pointed out that
“the FIR did not mention his name”.
Despite these arguments, the Delhi Police firmly opposed the bail plea. Citing similarities with the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the police stated that MCOCA also places tough conditions on granting bail.
According to the law, bail can only be considered if the court finds reasonable grounds to believe the accused did not commit the offence.
The police argued that
“these conditions had not been satisfied” in Balyan’s case.
The investigating authorities also claimed that Balyan was involved in “continuous unlawful activity”, which justified the application of the stringent MCOCA law.
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They maintained that based on the evidence and nature of the alleged offences, “no relief could be granted”.
Naresh Balyan’s withdrawal of his bail plea now shifts focus to the trial court where the chargesheet has been accepted and further proceedings are likely to continue.
The case remains significant as it highlights the use of MCOCA in tackling organized crime networks allegedly involving political figures.
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