NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police’s Crime Branch has arrested AAP legislator Naresh Balyan in connection with a year-old extortion case and alleged ties to gangster Kapil Sangwan, also known as Nandu. The arrest follows surfacing of a purported audio clip of an alleged conversation between Balyan and the gangster, who is currently operating from abroad.
According to police, Balyan was initially detained, but later arrested for failing to cooperate during questioning. The Crime Branch is expected to present him before a court on Sunday to seek his custodial remand.
The controversy erupted after the BJP released the audio clip in which Balyan could be allegedly heard instructing Nandu to threaten and extort money from a city builder.
The audio clip has triggered political sparring, with BJP accusing AAP of harbouring individuals with criminal cases. Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva launched a scathing attack on the ruling party, citing the recent conviction of AAP MLA Naresh Yadav in a 2016 case of Quran desecration.
“Arvind Kejriwal’s party shelters individuals who insult religious sentiments and are connected to heinous crimes,” said Sachdeva.
The AAP, however, dismissed the arrest as politically motivated, with Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh calling the audio clip “fabricated” and accused the BJP of resorting to desperate measures. “The BJP has yet again mocked the justice system with fake claims,” Singh said, reiterating that the courts had already stayed the dissemination of the audio clip.