AAP leader Naresh Balyan was remanded in two days of judicial custody on Sunday following his arrest in an extortion case. The Uttam Nagar MLA however insists that he was nabbed in a ‘fake’ case due to ‘BJP pressure’. Senior members of the party have also spoken out in support of the politician — with former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal insisting that Balyan was “the victim of gangsters”.
“This is all fake, nothing else. I have been arrested under BJP’s pressure,” Balyan told the media while leaving the Rouse Avenue Court on Sunday afternoon.
The AAP lawmaker was detained by the Delhi Police Crime Branch on Saturday evening for questioning in connection with an extortion case from 2023. He was subsequently arrested with officials citing an audio clip of his interaction with notorious gangster Kapil Sangwan. The conversation allegedly involved discussions about the collection of ransom money from businessmen.
The developments came hours after the BJP released an audio clip on Saturday alleging that the AAP leader was talking to a gangster. The incident has sparked a fresh war of words between the two parties — with Balyan insisting that he would lodge police cases against those who “spread lies” about him.
“Naresh Balyan was arrested because he informed about the extortion calls, he was receiving. He is a true soldier of Arvind Kejriwal. We aren’t scared. A message is being given that if you will complain, then you only will be sent to jail,” contended party spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar.
Meanwhile AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal dubbed the lawmaker a ‘victim of gangsters’ who had filed a complaint about the matter in May 2023.
“Yesterday, one of our MLAs was arrested. That MLA was also a victim of gangsters. He had made a written complaint to Delhi Police that he was getting calls from Kapil Sangwan. He had complained to Dhaliwal Sahib. The complaint said that on 23 May 2023, a call came from Nandu Gang after which he and his family were threatened,” he said.
(With inputs from agencies)