A Delhi court on Friday ordered AAP's Uttam Nagar MLA Naresh Balyan to be sent to judicial custody in connection with a case involving organised crime. This decision came after the expiry of his seven-day police remand.
The court dismissed a request from the Delhi police to extend his custody for an additional 10 days.
The case, which is being investigated under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), has attracted considerable attention due to its serious nature.
Naresh Balyan, who was arrested on December 4, had been in police custody since then. However, the court ruled against further remand, signalling that it did not find sufficient grounds for continuing his detention.
During the hearing, Special Public Prosecutor Akhand Pratap Singh, who was representing the Delhi police, argued that further police custody was necessary to continue interrogating Balyan.
The prosecutor claimed that this would help uncover a broader conspiracy related to the alleged crimes. Despite these arguments, the court was not convinced and decided to send Balyan to judicial custody instead.
Naresh Balyan had previously been granted bail in a separate extortion case, which added a layer of complexity to the legal proceedings against him. His arrest has raised questions about the involvement of lawmakers in organised crime, with the case underlining the growing concerns over criminal activities within political circles.
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