The Delhi High Court on Monday denied bail to former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Naresh Balyan in a case registered against him under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999, related to an alleged organised crime.

Justice Manoj Jain passed the order.

The judge had reserved the verdict in the case last week. Balyan has been in custody since his arrest in December 2024. He has been in judicial custody lodged at Mandoli jail.

The case is linked with an alleged organized crime syndicate allegedly run by gangster Kapil Sangwan.

Earlier, he was denied bail in the MCOCA case by the trial court on January 15, 2024. It was observed that there was substantial evidence linking him to an organized crime syndicate.

The trial court had said that Balyan was actively involved in “ongoing unlawful activities as a member of the group.”

The Delhi Police filed 16 FIRs against the members of Sangwan's syndicate, accusing them of engaging in extortion, violence, and other criminal activities across the national capital.

The prosecution had opposed Balyan's bail plea before the trial court alleging that he was a “facilitator” in the organized crime syndicate.

In a related development, Balyan has been discharged on July 31 by the trial court in a 2023 extortion case as it flagged several lapses in the investigation.

Title: Naresh Balyan v. State