The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to examine a petition filed by former Aam Aadmi Party legislator Naresh Balyan challenging a High Court ruling that denied him bail in a case registered under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued a notice to the Delhi Police, directing the investigating agency to file its response within four weeks regarding the former lawmaker’s plea.
High Court Findings And Criminal Nexus Allegations
The legal move follows an August 3 order by the Delhi High Court dismissing Balyan’s bail application. The High Court determined that intercepted communication between Balyan and gangster Kapil Sangwan revealed an active criminal connection, alleging that the former politician functioned as a facilitator for Sangwan’s syndicate.
During High Court proceedings, Balyan argued that the charges were unfounded and driven by political hostility. He claimed to be a victim of the syndicate who had previously filed police complaints against Sangwan. However, the High Court rejected these assertions, ruling that claims of political vendetta were unsubstantiated and that prior complaints could not override evidence collected by investigators demonstrating a link between Balyan and syndicate members. The court added that whether those past complaints were genuine or a deliberate attempt to build a false impression would be evaluated during trial.
Background And Legal History
Balyan was taken into custody under MCOCA provisions on December 4, 2024, on the same day a trial court granted him bail in a separate extortion matter. His subsequent bail request in the MCOCA proceeding was turned down by a trial court on May 27, 2025, leading to his appeal before the High Court.
According to prosecution submissions, the organized crime syndicate associated with Sangwan faces multiple police cases across Delhi for widespread illegal activities and unlawful accumulation of assets, with law enforcement citing 16 to 17 registered reports involving the network.
