
Wed Jun 25 12:20:21 UTC 2025: Here’s a news article summarizing the provided text:
**Delhi High Court Seeks Police Response on Bail Plea of Former AAP MLA in MCOCA Case**
**New Delhi, June 25, 2025** – The Delhi High Court has directed the Delhi Police to respond to the bail application of former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Naresh Balyan, who is currently in custody under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Justice Manoj Jain issued the notice during a hearing today and scheduled the next hearing for July 3, 2025.
The court has also requested the jail superintendent to provide Balyan’s nominal roll and a report on his medical condition, as the former MLA is also seeking interim bail on health grounds. The Delhi Police has been instructed to submit an updated status report on the case.
Senior Advocate Sunil Dalal, representing Balyan, argued that his client was arrested on December 4, 2024, immediately after being granted bail in a separate extortion case, and has remained in custody since. Balyan’s previous bail plea was withdrawn after police filed a charge sheet, and a subsequent application to the trial court was rejected on May 27. Dalal has asserted there is “no shred of evidence” against his client, and the case is “completely frivolous,” noting that Balyan’s name was not even mentioned in the initial FIR.
The Delhi Police counsel opposed the bail plea, arguing that MCOCA, similar to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, sets a high bar for granting bail, requiring the accused to demonstrate reasonable grounds that they did not commit the crime. The police claim Balyan was a facilitator in an organized crime syndicate and that continuous unlawful activity justifies the MCOCA charges. The prosecutor previously cited 16 FIRs against alleged syndicate members and argued that Balyan could hamper the investigation if released. The trial court had earlier denied Balyan bail and even refused custody parole for him to assist his wife in the February 2025 Assembly elections. The case was recently transferred from Dwarka court to Rouse Avenue court.