Supreme Court seeks Delhi government's response to bail plea by AAP's Naresh Balyan in MCOCA case

The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Delhi government's response to a bail plea filed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former MLA Naresh Balyan in connection with a case registered under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) [Naresh Balyan v. State NCT of Delhi].

A Bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued notice on the plea challenging the Delhi High Court’s refusal to grant Balyan bail.

He was arrested by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police on December 4, 2024, for his alleged links to an organised crime syndicate operated by absconding gangster Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu.

The prosecution has alleged that Balyan acted as a "facilitator" for Sangwan’s syndicate by identifying extortion targets, executing sham property agreements, and orchestrating forced property sales at throwaway rates.

On August 3, the Delhi High Court had denied him bail in the matter, observing that there appeared to be a discernible nexus between Balyan and the crime syndicate based on intercepted mobile conversations.

The High Court had also held that in cases involving serious offences under special statutes like MCOCA, prolonged incarceration alone cannot be the decisive factor for granting bail.

Earlier in March, another Bench of the High Court had pulled up the Delhi Police for the delay in the probe against Naresh Balyan. At the time, the Court also directed the police to expedite the probe and place a timeline on record.

Balyan has consistently refuted the allegations against him, calling the invocation of MCOCA an abuse of law and a part of a political vendetta.

On July 31, a Delhi court closed an extortion case against Balyan, citing a lack of evidence.