Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Naresh Balyan was arrested by the Delhi Police’s Crime Branch on Saturday in connection with a year-old extortion case and his alleged links with gangster Kapil Sangwan.
According to the Delhi Police, the arrest was made after an investigation revealed an audio clip of a conversation between Balyan and gangster Kapil Sangwan, also known as Nandu, reportedly based in London. The police said that the conversation in the audio clips has discussions about collecting ransom money from a businessman. Further investigation of the case is in progress.
The Uttam Nagar MLA was called to the Delhi Police’s Crime Branch office in R K Puram for questioning and was later arrested. An audio call purportedly between Balyan and Sangwan was intercepted by the probe agencies.
BJP’s Charges Against Balyan
Earlier today, the BJP accused Balyan of allegedly colluding with gangster to extort money from business owners. Addressing a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia and the party’s Delhi president Virendra Sachdeva played an audio clip of a purported conversation of the AAP MLA with the gangster. In the clip, Bhatia claimed, Balyan addressed the gangster as a brother and discussed threats and intimidation against a builder.
The saffron camp charged that the AAP leader was involved in threatening people and extorting money from them. He asked whether Kejriwal and Delhi Chief Minister Atishi will take action against the MLA and ask him to resign.
“If they do not ask for his resignation, it will be deemed that the extortion money is going to the party and its leaders,” he charged. Bhatia said that it was “election time” in Delhi and the AAP government was in “exit mode”. People will not only “throw it out of power” but also ensure it’s not able to remain in the opposition, he added.
AAP Reacts
Dismissing the accusations levelled against him, Balyan said, “I am sending notices to all those who have spread the false clip and getting FIRs registered against them. Remember, I am not a Congressman. Those who spread lies should be ready for legal action.”
AAP senior leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh dismissed the allegations by the BJP.
“… Ever since Arvind Kejriwal has raised the issue of law and order situation in Delhi and, he and his party workers are being targeted by the central government. As part of the same conspiracy, AAP MLA Naresh Balyan has been arrested by the Delhi Police… Naresh Balyan had already filed 5 police complaints since 2023, on the threats he has been receiving. He was even provided with police protection… Even though Delhi HC had banned this audio clip, the BJP released it to the media. Naresh Balyan has been arrested in this baseless allegation…”
“The audio clip has no authenticity and the Delhi High Court has imposed a stay on it. Despite this, the Bharatiya Janata Party – I must call it the ‘Bharatiya Jhootha Party’- has once again circulated this clip.” The BJP’s allegation comes amid AAP’s criticism of the Centre and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the alleged rise in crimes in Delhi. The AAP has alleged that the BJP and the Union Home Ministry has turned Delhi into “gangster capital”, he added.