Wed Dec 04 14:31:42 UTC 2024: ## AAP MLA Arrested Under MCOCA Hours After Bail in Extortion Case

**New Delhi:** Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Naresh Balyan was arrested Wednesday under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), just hours after being granted bail in a separate extortion case. The arrest, sources confirmed, stems from allegations of organized crime, though details remain scarce.

Balyan, representing the Uttam Nagar assembly constituency, had been granted bail earlier in the day by a Delhi court in the extortion case. His lawyer, N.C. Sharma, denounced the MCOCA arrest as illegal, stating, “We will challenge the grounds of arrest…the police are not aware of the FIR.” The arrest follows a three-day police custody and a subsequent application for further remand by the Delhi Police Crime Branch.

The arrest comes amid allegations from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that Balyan was involved in extortion and accusations of inaction by AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal. The AAP, however, defended Balyan and labeled his arrest as illegal. Balyan himself denied the BJP’s claims and vowed to pursue legal action against those he deemed responsible for spreading false information.

Police previously indicated that an audio clip, purportedly containing a conversation between Balyan and fugitive gangster Kapil Sangwan, fueled the extortion allegations. The conversation allegedly centers on the collection of extortion money from businessmen. The circumstances surrounding the MCOCA charges remain unclear, and further investigation is expected.

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