Supreme Court seeks Delhi reply on AAP MLA Naresh Balyan bail plea 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 Naresh Balyan in a case under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued notice on the plea, which challenges the Delhi High Court's August 3 order denying him bail. Balyan was arrested on December 4, 2024, by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police.

The prosecution alleges Balyan acted as a "facilitator" for an organised crime syndicate run by absconding gangster Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu. It claims he identified extortion targets, executed sham property agreements, and orchestrated forced property sales. The High Court, while denying bail, cited intercepted mobile conversations showing a "discernible nexus" between Balyan and the syndicate, and noted that prolonged incarceration alone cannot justify bail under MCOCA.

Balyan has denied the allegations, calling the invocation of MCOCA an abuse of law and political vendetta. Earlier, a Delhi court closed an extortion case against him on July 31 for lack of evidence. The Supreme Court will now await the Delhi government's response before proceeding with the bail plea.