AAP MLA Naresh Balyan arrested in year-old extortion case; party calls it 'illegal'

New Delhi: AAP legislator Naresh Balyan was arrested here on Saturday in connection with an extortion case lodged last year, police said.

The MLA from Delhi's Uttam Nagar Assembly segment was called to the Delhi Police's Crime Branch office in R K Puram for questioning and was later arrested, they said.

The development came hours after the BJP alleged that Balyan was involved in extortion activities and questioned why AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal has not taken action against him.

The Aam Aadmi Party defended Balyan, claiming that his arrest was illegal. The MLA had refuted the BJP's allegations and said he would lodge police cases against those who "spread lies" about him.

A police official said that an audio clip of a conversation purportedly between Balyan and gangster Kapil Sangwan, currently based abroad, had gone viral on social media.

The conversation involved discussions about collecting extortion money from businessmen, he said, adding further investigation and interrogation was underway.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh alleged that since Kejriwal has started raising the issue of law and order and rising crime in Delhi, the BJP and the central government are "trying to harass and conspire against his party leaders".

"Balyan has been arrested under this conspiracy and the charges against him are baseless," Singh claimed.

"The BJP leaders have played a fake audio despite the High Court's order against it. Balyan himself complained to the police about multiple threats received by him from the gangster Kapil Sangwan," he claimed.