A Delhi court has directed the city police to expedite its investigation into an extortion case lodged against former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Naresh Balyan, accused of aiding UK-based gangster Kapil Sangwan, noting that the case has been pending since 2019 and that the final report is awaited.
The observations were made by additional chief judicial magistrate (ACJM) Paras Dalal of Rouse Avenue courts during Tuesday’s hearing.
The former MLA from Uttam Nagar has been in prison since January, 2025. He was granted bail on December 4, 2024, in the extortion case, but was later arrested in a Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) case lodged in August 2024 by the anti-gang squad of the Crime Branch.
The extortion case was lodged on May 31 last year, in which a complainant claimed that he received a threatening call from a caller who introduced himself as Sangwan alias Nandu, demanded ₹1 crore as extortion money, and threatened dire consequences if the amount was not paid.
In the MCOCA case, police alleged that the former legislator was using the clout of Sangwan to target victims, used to extort through his associates and forced people to sell their property at a lesser amount to his associates.
Delhi Police claimed they were in possession of an audio clip purportedly containing a conversation between Balyan and Sangwan.
{{/usCountry}}Delhi Police claimed they were in possession of an audio clip purportedly containing a conversation between Balyan and Sangwan.
{{/usCountry}}During Tuesday’s proceedings, the magistrate noted that the voice samples of the accused and the complainant were sent to the Central Forensics Science Laboratory (CFSL) last year, and the results were awaited.
“The court need not remind the investigation authority that it is a special court designated to try cases pertaining to former and sitting MPs/MLAs. The present case was registered in 2023 and has been pending investigation since then,” the ACJM said.
The court said that, despite a request letter sent by the investigating officer (IO) to the director of CFSL in January to expedite the examination process, the report filed in court by the officer was silent on the follow-up taken.
“IO is directed to make sincere efforts for conclusion of the investigation in the present matter, failing which this court shall be constrained to take an adverse view against the IO, considering the inordinate delay that has already occurred in concluding the investigation in the present matter,” the court said.
The magistrate also asked the IO to file a report on the next date of hearing, April 7, and sent a priority letter to the CFSL director to expedite the analysis of the voice samples.
In the MCOCA case, two charge sheets have been filed, and the case is currently at the stage of document scrutiny, with arguments yet to begin.