The case had been under consideration for a transfer to the special MP/MLA court in Rouse Avenue, as the Delhi Police argued that proceedings for the same FIR were taking place in two different courts—applications for co-accused Balyan were heard in the Rouse Avenue court, while similar applications for others were before the MCOCA court in Dwarka.
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Thursday (19th Dec) transferred a case involving MLA Naresh Balyan under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) from the Dwarka court to the Rouse Avenue court.
Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri passed the order after the defense counsel for the two accused confirmed they had no objections to the transfer.
The case had been under consideration for a transfer to the special MP/MLA court in Rouse Avenue, as the Delhi Police argued that proceedings for the same FIR were taking place in two different courts—applications for co-accused Balyan were heard in the Rouse Avenue court, while similar applications for others were before the MCOCA court in Dwarka.
The prosecutor argued that, since all the accused were part of the same FIR, they should be tried in one court, and thus, the special court handling MPs and MLAs should oversee the entire case. The High Court, disposing of the plea, noted that since proceedings for Balyan were already being conducted at Rouse Avenue, the case would be transferred there, with future proceedings allocated by the Principal District Judge.
Following the court’s order, accused Rohit and Sachin Chikara were presented before the High Court via video conferencing from jail. The counsel for another accused, Ritik, also indicated no objection to the transfer.
Naresh Balyan arrested on Wednesday in connection with an alleged organized crime case, while he had previously been granted bail in another case involving alleged extortion.
Naresh Balyan is an Indian politician associated with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and currently serves as the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the Uttam Nagar constituency in New Delhi. He was born on November 22, 1976, in Delhi and completed his education at Haryana Shakti Senior Secondary School.
In November 2024, Balyan arrested by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police in relation to an extortion case that had been filed the previous year. His arrest followed the emergence of an audio clip that allegedly featured a conversation between him and fugitive gangster Kapil Sangwan, which gained significant attention on social media.
Following his arrest, a Delhi court placed him in police custody for two days.
The AAP condemned Balyan’s arrest labeling it “illegal” and accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of orchestrating a baseless conspiracy to distract from the worsening law and order situation in the capital. Balyan himself denied the extortion allegations and expressed his intention to file complaints against individuals spreading false information about him.
The special MP/MLA court had previously denied further remand for Balyan and sent him to judicial custody until January 9, 2025.
