On Wednesday, the Delhi High Court rejected Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Naresh Balyan’s plea for custody parole.

Balyan, who was arrested by the Delhi Police on December 4, 2024, under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), had sought parole to assist his wife, Pooja Balyan, in her campaign for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections from the Vikaspuri constituency.

The Delhi Police, represented by special public prosecutor Amit Prasad, strongly opposed the request, arguing that Balyan could influence witnesses and that the investigation against him was still ongoing. Taking these concerns into account, a bench led by Justice Vikas Mahajan denied the plea.

During Tuesday’s proceedings, the court had directed Prasad to seek instructions after Balyan’s counsel, MS Khan, cited a Supreme Court ruling that granted custody parole to Tahir Hussain, an AIMIM candidate contesting from Mustafabad. Khan had argued that similar relief should be extended to Balyan.

However, on Wednesday, the court clarified that Balyan’s case was different from Hussain’s, as he was not contesting the elections himself.

“Mr. Khan, now they (Delhi Police) are opposing it. I will have to pass an order. The Tahir Hussain case is entirely different. Had he (Balyan) been contesting elections, it would have been a different matter,” Justice Mahajan remarked while dismissing the plea.