Delhi HC denies bail to former AAP MLA Naresh Balyan in MCOCA case

The Delhi High Court on Monday, August 3, refused to grant bail to former AAP MLA Naresh Balyan in a case registered under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

"We are dismissing it," Justice Manoj Jain said while pronouncing the verdict on Balyan's bail plea.

Balyan was arrested in the MCOCA case on December 4, 2024, the same day a trial court granted him bail in an alleged extortion case.

The former lawmaker is accused of acting as a "facilitator" for an organised crime syndicate.

He had sought bail, arguing that there was "no shred of evidence" against him and describing the case as "completely frivolous".

A trial court had rejected his bail plea on January 15, 2025.

The prosecution had cited 16 FIRs registered against alleged members of the syndicate in different parts of Delhi, claiming the group had created fear in society and accumulated substantial illegal wealth.