MCOCA case: Delhi HC denies bail to ex-AAP MLA Naresh Balyan

The Delhi High Court rejected former AAP MLA Naresh Balyan's bail plea in a MCOCA case. He is accused of links with an organised crime syndicate led by gangster Kapil Sangwan, with allegations based partly on a purported audio recording.

The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed the bail plea of former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Naresh Balyan in a case registered under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), in which he is accused of having links with an organised crime syndicate allegedly headed by absconding gangster Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu.

Justice Manoj Jain passed the order dismissing Balyan's plea. Balyan was arrested by the Delhi Police Crime Branch on December 4, 2024. According to the prosecution, he was associated with an organised crime syndicate allegedly run by Kapil Sangwan. The allegations are based, among other material, on an audio recording purportedly containing a mobile phone conversation between Balyan and the gangster.

Defense Cites Closure of Extortion Case

During the hearing, Senior Advocate Rebecca M John, appearing for Balyan, contended that the allegations were baseless and relied on the recent order of a Delhi trial court, which had closed the extortion case arising out of the same audio clip.

On July 31, the Rouse Avenue Court closed the extortion case registered by the Delhi Police against Balyan. In that order, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Paras Dalal observed that the prosecution had failed to produce "even an iota of evidence" to establish Balyan's involvement in the alleged offence.

Senior Advocate Rebecca M. John was assisted by advocates Jatan Singh, Vivek Jain, Rohit Kumar, Sadiq Noor and Pravir Singh for Balyan. The State was represented by Special Counsel Amit Prasad, Special Public Prosecutor Akhand Pratap Singh, and advocates Hritwirk Maurya, Ayodhya Prasad and Utkarsh Singh.

Who is Naresh Balyan?

Naresh Balyan is a former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA who represented the Uttam Nagar Assembly constituency in the Delhi Legislative Assembly. He served as a legislator from the constituency before being arrested in the present MCOCA case. (ANI)

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