New Delhi, Jan 29 The Delhi High Court on Wednesday turned down a plea filed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAM) MLA Naresh Balyan, who is behind bars in connection with the case under the stringent MCOCA, seeking custody parole to aid his wife in campaigning ahead of the polls in the national capital.
Controversial Uttam Nagar legislator Naresh Balyan, initially arrested in an alleged extortion case, has been replaced by his wife Pooja Naresh Balyan in forthcoming Delhi elections.
Declining Balyan’s plea for custody parole, a bench of Justice Vikas Mahajan clarified that it will continue to hear the AAP leader’s regular bail plea on Thursday.
The Delhi Police Crime Branch, on December 4 last year, rearrested Balyan under MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) minutes after he secured bail in connection with an extortion case.
After the Rouse Avenue Court allowed his bail application in the extortion case, the Delhi Police arrested the AAP leader within the court premises and took him to its office.
Balyan was arrested on November 30, 2024, following the release of audio clips allegedly featuring him in a conversation with gangster Kapil Sangwan, alias Nandu. The clips purportedly reveal plans to threaten and extort money from Delhi’s builders and others.
The BJP has described Balyan as an "extortionist" and accused AAP leaders of colluding with gangsters to extort protection money from traders and builders. BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia alleged that Balyan's activities were conducted with AAP supremo and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's full knowledge and consent. Similarly, BJP leader Kailash Gahlot dismissed claims of conspiracy surrounding Balyan’s arrest, asserting that the matter had been "known to senior leaders for the last year".
Gahlot raised serious concerns about the lack of action from AAP's top brass, including Kejriwal, despite their awareness of the issue. "It would be completely wrong to call this a conspiracy because every senior AAP leader has known about this for the last year. The real question is why no action was taken despite senior party leaders, including the National Convenor, being aware of such activities. It is disturbing that the issue has escalated to this point," he had said.
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