Delhi High Court Denies Bail to Former AAP MLA in Gangster Case

The Delhi High Court has rejected a bail plea from Naresh Balyan, a former legislator from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), who is seeking release in a case registered under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). The court dismissed his application, with a detailed verdict pending. Balyan had appealed to the high court after a city court denied his second bail application on May 27. The trial court had concluded that there were no grounds to dismiss his involvement in the case, emphasizing the severe threat posed by the "criminal nexus between a politician and a gangster." Balyan's legal team argued that he has been incarcerated since December and that his custody is no longer necessary as investigations are complete. However, Delhi Police filed a chargesheet on May 1, alleging that Balyan used his political influence to support gangster Kapil Sangwan's syndicate and protect its members. The police claim Balyan communicated with Sangwan, who is based in the UK, using virtual private networks (VPNs) and encrypted messaging apps to avoid detection. Balyan's plea asserted that his arrest was "frivolous," based on past FIRs and co-accused statements, without specific new allegations. He argued that the MCOCA provisions were misused in his case. Balyan was arrested on December 4 in connection with organized crime and extortion allegations, shortly after being granted bail in a separate extortion case. That earlier case stemmed from threats made in May 2022, demanding ₹1 crore from a complainant who identified the caller as Kapil Sangwan.

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I’m dismissing it. End result is that we are dismissing it.