New Delhi, Jan 20 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Monday sought the stand of police on the regular bail plea by AAP leader and Uttam Nagar MLA Naresh Balyan in a Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) case.
“Issue notice. Let status report be filed before the next date of hearing,” said Justice Vikas Mahajan.
Senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, appearing for the lawmaker, urged the court to release him on the grounds that assembly elections were approaching and his wife was contesting polls.
“Give me interim bail at least. I am not a criminal,” he said.
Pahwa argued there was “no shred of evidence” against Balyan and the case was “completely frivolous”. He said the FIR did not even mention Balyan’s name and the MLA was the one who raised a complaint against the crime. “If I am part of a syndicate, there must be FIR against me along with others. They have the power to arrest ..but there should be some substance (in the case),” said Pahwa. “They arrested me on the same day (as he was granted bail in another case) saying you are part of the gang you made a complaint against,” he added.
The police’s counsel sought time to file a status report following which the court posted the hearing on January 23.
Pahwa said the purpose of the bail plea would be frustrated if the matter was kept at a later date.
Balyan was accused of being a “facilitator” in an organised crime syndicate.
He was arrested in the MCOCA case on December 4, 2024, the day a trial court granted him bail in an alleged extortion case.
On January 15, a trial court denied bail to Balyan.
Before the trial court, Delhi police opposed Balyan’s bail plea, claiming the investigation was at a crucial stage in the case, and if granted bail, the accused could hamper the probe.
The prosecutor cited 16 FIRs lodged against the alleged syndicate members in various parts of Delhi and claimed it had “created havoc in the society and has amassed huge illegal wealth”. PTI ADS AMK
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