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Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Naresh Balyan has approached the Delhi High Court seeking bail in a case under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA), following the trial court's recent rejection of his bail application.
Balyan, who was arrested on December 4 in connection with the MCOCA case, had previously been granted bail in an extortion case. His lawyers have stated that the bail plea in the Delhi High Court may be heard on Monday. In its January 15 order, the trial court, led by Special Judge Kaveri Baweja, noted that there was substantial evidence linking Balyan to an organized crime syndicate. The court emphasized that Balyan appeared to be actively involved in ongoing unlawful activities as a member of the group. The Delhi Police had opposed Balyan's bail plea during a January 8 hearing, accusing him of acting as a "facilitator" for the crime syndicate allegedly led by Kapil Sangwan. Special Public Prosecutor Akhand Pratap Singh argued that Balyan played a key role in funding one of the syndicate members following a crime, helping them evade arrest. The prosecution also raised concerns that granting bail could allow Balyan to influence witnesses, destroy evidence, and impede the investigation. The police have filed 16 FIRs against the members of Sangwan's syndicate, accusing them of engaging in extortion, violence, and other criminal activities across Delhi. The defence contends that there is insufficient evidence to directly link Balyan to the criminal activities, but the court found the prosecution's arguments more convincing, rejecting his bail plea. (ANI)
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