The Supreme Court of India has requested the Delhi government to provide its response to the bail plea of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), Naresh Balyan. The plea is connected to charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) [Naresh Balyan v. State NCT of Delhi]. A Bench consisting of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued the notice, following Balyan’s challenge to the Delhi High Court’s decision to deny him bail.
Naresh Balyan was apprehended by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police on December 4, 2024. The arrest is tied to his alleged involvement with an organized crime group led by the fugitive gangster Kapil Sangwan, also known as Nandu. According to the prosecution, Balyan played the role of a “facilitator” for Sangwan’s syndicate. The allegations include identifying targets for extortion, executing fraudulent property agreements, and manipulating property sales at undervalued prices.
The Delhi High Court, on August 3, declined Balyan’s bail request, citing a clear connection between him and the crime syndicate. The court’s decision was based on intercepted mobile phone conversations. Furthermore, the High Court emphasized that in cases involving serious offenses under specific laws such as MCOCA, the duration of imprisonment should not be the sole consideration for granting bail.
Earlier in March, another Bench of the Delhi High Court criticized the Delhi Police for delays in the investigation against Balyan. The court had then instructed the police to expedite their probe and submit a timeline.
Balyan has consistently denied the accusations, arguing that the application of MCOCA is an abuse of legal process and part of a political vendetta. In a related development on July 31, a Delhi court dismissed an extortion case against Balyan, citing insufficient evidence.
