Naresh Balyan of AAP Remains in Police Custody Until December 4
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New Delhi, December 3 (NationPress) In a significant setback for Aam Aadmi Party's Naresh Balyan, a judge here on Tuesday ordered the MLA representing Delhi’s Uttam Nagar constituency to remain in police custody for another day in relation to an extortion investigation.
After the expiration of the previous two-day police remand, Balyan was brought before the Rouse Avenue Court, where the Delhi Police contended that his detention should be prolonged for two more days for continued questioning.
Conversely, Balyan’s attorney challenged the justification for his arrest, stating that he is willing to present himself before the investigating officer whenever necessary and will fully cooperate with the ongoing inquiry.
In extending Balyan’s custody for an additional day, the court directed the Delhi Police to address his bail request on Wednesday.
Previously, on Sunday, the Rouse Avenue Court had remanded the AAP leader to two days of police detention. The Delhi Police had argued that Balyan should be held for five days for further interrogation.
Balyan’s arrest occurred on November 30 after audio recordings were released, allegedly featuring him in a discussion with gangster Kapil Sangwan, also known as Nandu. These recordings reportedly reveal intentions to intimidate and extort funds from builders and others in Delhi.
The BJP has labeled Balyan as an "extortionist" and accused AAP officials of colluding with criminals to extract protection payments from businessmen and builders.
BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia claimed that Balyan's actions were executed with the full awareness and approval of AAP leader and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. In a similar vein, BJP leader Kailash Gahlot dismissed conspiracy claims related to Balyan’s arrest, asserting that the situation had been "known to senior leaders for the last year".
Gahlot expressed serious concerns regarding the inaction from AAP's leadership, including Kejriwal, despite their knowledge of the ongoing issues.
"Labeling this as a conspiracy would be entirely erroneous because every senior AAP leader has been aware of this for the past year. The pressing issue is why no measures were taken despite the knowledge of such activities by senior party leaders, including the National Convenor. It is troubling that the situation has escalated to this stage," he stated.
