MCOCA Case: Delhi Court Rejects Ex-AAP MLA Naresh Balyan’s Bail Plea
A Delhi Court on Tuesday 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), linked to an alleged crime syndicate led by gangster Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu.
Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh of Rouse Avenue Court rejected Balyan’s second bail application, observing that there was no change in circumstances warranting relief.
Balyan, who has been in custody since December 4, 2024, was produced through video conferencing.Delhi Police opposed the plea, asserting that the charges were serious and that a supplementary charge sheet had already been filed against Balyan under Sections 3 and 4 of MCOCA.
Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Akhand Pratap Singh argued that the grounds raised had already been addressed and rejected earlier.
Balyan’s counsel, Advocate M S Khan, along with Advocates Rohit Kumar Dalal and Rahul Sahani, contested the validity of the FIR’s MCOCA approval, claiming that the police misrepresented facts regarding the timing of an audio clip allegedly linking Balyan to gangster Nandu.
The defence contended that the clip was in police knowledge prior to the FIR but was falsely projected as new evidence.
Background
Previously, Balyan had withdrawn his bail appeal from the Delhi High Court on May 7. On May 5, the Court had taken cognizance of a supplementary charge sheet naming Balyan and three others as accused.
The Court had directed daily hearings on charge framing from June 3 and extended the judicial custody of all accused. The Delhi Police had been asked to expedite the probe concerning another accused, Vikas Gehlot.
[Inputs: ANI]