AAP MLA Naresh Balyan, gangster Sangwan had 40 calls last year, claim cops

NEW DELHI: Even as Delhi Police's crime branch initiated a financial investigation into the criminal empire of UK-based gangster Kapil Sangwan, it claimed that probe had revealed that arrested AAP MLA Naresh Balyan and Sangwan were "frequently in touch" and reportedly exchanged around 40 calls last year.

When questioned in custody, Balyan claimed all these calls were made to threaten him. He, however, couldn't elaborate on the content of the long duration of the calls.

"In a separate complaint to special cell filed in May 2023, Balyan, in fact, accepted that Sangwan called him multiple times to threaten him and wanted him to collect money from his targets and hand it over to his men," a senior cop alleged.

When the police questioned him on why Sangwan wanted him to collect money specifically, Balyan allegedly went quiet, a development which the cops also informed the court about while seeking remand.

The crime branch claimed that it was also conducting a deep financial investigation under MCOCA into Kapil Sangwan's empire being run from the UK, and Balyan was, prima facie, a key figure in the conspiracy. Police said that the case in which Balyan was arrested was filed on the complaint of Gurcharan Singh, who alleged that he received a threatening call from Sangwan demanding an extortion amount of Rs 1 crore. TOI reported about the complainant on Sunday.

DCP (crime branch) Sanjay Sen said on Sunday that the ongoing action by Delhi Police against the gangsters located abroad was focused on identifying their local accomplices and taking action against them. "The objective of organised crime syndicate run from abroad is financial gain, and when it is important to act against these organised crimes, then there should be legal action against their finances. In view of this, prima facie, Naresh Balyan has appeared to be an important character," Sen claimed in a statement.

"In the current case, evidence (audio) of the association of Sangwan alias Nandu, and Balyan is in the public domain. We have to unearth their activities," he added.

Sangwan, a 35-year-old fugitive from Delhi's Najafgarh, is wanted in 18 cases, including MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act), murder, attempted murder, extortion, robbery, and arms act in Delhi, Haryana, and Rajasthan. He has a reward of over Rs 2 lakh for information leading to his capture.