Naresh Balyan was arrested on December 4, 2024, in a case under MCOCA. His arrest came after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released an audio recording, in which he was allegedly heard talking to gangster Kapil Sangwan, also known as Nandu. The BJP accused Balyan of being involved in extortion.
NEW DELHI: The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi has given the Delhi Police 60 more days to complete their investigation in the MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) case against former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Naresh Balyan. The police had requested 90 days, but the court only approved a 60-day extension.
Balyan’s 90-day custody period was set to end on March 3, 2025.
Naresh Balyan was arrested on December 4, 2024, in a case under MCOCA. His arrest came after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released an audio recording, in which he was allegedly heard talking to gangster Kapil Sangwan, also known as Nandu. The BJP accused Balyan of being involved in extortion.
Naresh Balyan has had a long political career. He was an MLA from Uttam Nagar on an AAP ticket. In the 2015 Delhi Assembly elections, he contested from this seat and won. However, his political journey started much before AAP was formed.
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Balyan first entered politics through municipal (corporation) elections. Initially, he was a Congress worker. During the 2012 corporation elections, when Congress did not give him a ticket, he contested as an independent candidate from Nawada ward and won. Later, he joined the BJP.
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However, in 2014, he switched to AAP and successfully contested the 2015 Assembly elections from Uttam Nagar.
PREVIOUSLY IN DELHI HC
The Delhi High Court on Jan 29 refused the request of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Naresh Balyan for custody parole in a case under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
Balyan wanted this relief so that he could help in the election campaign of his wife, who is standing for the upcoming Delhi assembly elections.
Justice Vikas Mahajan did not allow Balyan’s request but mentioned that he would hear the MLA’s regular bail plea the next day.
Earlier this month, a trial court in Delhi had already rejected Balyan’s bail plea, which made the AAP leader approach the High Court for help.
Balyan was arrested on December 4, 2024, because of allegations that he was connected to a criminal group led by gangster Kapil Sangwan.
On January 15, Judge Kaveri Baweja dismissed Balyan’s bail plea, saying that there was enough proof to show a connection between the AAP leader and the organized crime syndicate run by Sangwan.
The judge from Rouse Avenue Court also pointed out that MCOCA has strict rules for bail and found that Balyan did not meet the necessary conditions to be granted bail. She stated that there was no reason to believe that Balyan was innocent or that he would not commit a similar crime if released on bail.
