Naresh Balyan Withdraws Bail Plea From Delhi High Court

MCOCA

Former Aam Aadmi Party legislator Naresh Balyan has withdrawn his bail plea from the Delhi High Court, days after the Delhi Police filed a supplementary chargesheet in a case registered under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act.

The development was confirmed in court on Wednesday by Balyan’s lawyer, who informed the bench that the bail plea, scheduled for hearing, was being withdrawn in light of the new chargesheet submitted before the trial court earlier this week.

The supplementary chargesheet, now accepted by a Delhi court, names four accused:

Sahil alias Poli
Vijay alias Kalu
Jyoti Prakash alias Baba
Naresh Balyan

These individuals were arrested during an ongoing investigation into an alleged organized crime syndicate reportedly led by gangster Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu. The MCOCA case was built on accusations of continued criminal activity, forming the basis for invoking the stringent anti-organized crime law.

Previous Bail Plea Challenged By Police

Balyan was arrested on December 4, 2024, and has remained in custody since. Although he had previously secured bail in an unrelated extortion case, his application for relief in the MCOCA matter faced strong opposition from Delhi Police.

Opposing the bail, investigators argued that MCOCA, like the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), places a high threshold for bail, requiring the court to be satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to believe the accused is not guilty. Police contended that those conditions were not met in Balyan’s case.

Authorities further justified the use of MCOCA by citing “continuous unlawful activity” linked to the alleged crime syndicate, suggesting Balyan’s role warranted no relaxation of the law’s strict provisions.

Defense Argues Lack Of Evidence

During previous court proceedings, Balyan’s legal team maintained that the case against him was “completely frivolous” and that there was “not a shred of evidence” tying him to any organized crime. They also highlighted that his name was not mentioned in the original FIR, casting doubt on the legitimacy of the charges.

Arguing for urgent relief, his counsel had emphasized the fact that Balyan had been incarcerated for nearly four months and urged the court to expedite the bail hearing.

Investigation Timeline

The court had earlier granted investigators an extension of 60 days to complete their probe against Balyan. With the supplementary chargesheet now filed, the matter will move forward in the trial court, where all four accused, including Balyan, will face formal legal proceedings.

For now, Balyan remains in judicial custody, and the withdrawal of his high court bail plea signals a strategic shift in legal approach following the submission of new evidence by the prosecution.