NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Tuesday extended the police custody of AAP MLA Naresh Balyan from Uttam Nagar, by a day in an extortion case registered against him last year. The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Paras Dalal of the Rouse Avenue Court also issued notice to Delhi Police on bail application filed by Balyan, seeking their response by Wednesday.
While producing Balyan before the court, the cops sought two days custody, claiming he was non-cooperative during the investigation. The AAP MLA will be produced before court again on Wednesday. During the hearing, the lawyer representing Balyan argued that the legislator and his family had been subjected to threats.
“On August 21, 2023, he filed a complaint requesting the registration of an FIR, disclosing the threats he faced. On December 19 last year, he made another complaint to the deputy commissioner of police, but no action was taken. Despite filing multiple complaints, no action was initiated,” the lawyer stated. The lawyer further contended that the police remained inactive for one and a half years regarding Balyan’s complaints and failed to issue a notice under Section 41A of the CrPC before his arrest.
However, the court observed that the duty magistrate had already made a categorical finding that the arrest was justified, thereby dismissing the argument that the arrest was illegal. “One person involved, gangster Kapil Sangwan, is currently abroad. We need to investigate the nexus and intercept the audio. The accused is an influential person, and his release could deter victims from coming forward,” the public prosecutor remarked.
‘Accused an influential person’
The public prosecutor argued that as one person involved in the case, gangster Kapil Sangwan aka Nandu, is currently abroad and the police need to investigate the nexus and intercept the purported audio clip. He claimed that the accused is an influential person and his release could deter victims from coming forward.