He was called to the Delhi Police’s Crime Branch office in RK Puram for questioning and was later arrested, officials said.

The arrest came after an investigation into the case revealed an audio clip of a conversation between the Uttam Nagar MLA and gangster Kapil Sangwan, also known as Nandu.

The conversation with Nandu, who is currently based abroad, allegedly involved discussions about collecting ransom from business, the Delhi Police was cited by ANI.

Further interrogation in this regard is in progress, they added.

AAP alleges conspiracy 

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, meanwhile, reacted to the arrest and said that the Bharatiya Janata Party is agitated by Arvind Kejriwal’s questioning of the “deteriorating law and order situation in Delhi”.

“Ever since @ArvindKejriwal ji raised questions on the deteriorating law and order situation in Delhi, the Central Government, BJP and Amit Shah have become nervous and are bent on harassing Kejriwal ji and the Aam Aadmi Party MLAs,” Singh said in a video post on X.

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

Noting that Balyan was a victim of extortion calls, Singh said that “this attitude of the BJP and Delhi Police will not be able to break our morale”.

BJP reacts

Delhi BJP chief Virendraa Sachdeva said it was evident from the audio evidence that Naresh Balyan was running an extortion racket with gangsters and used to name the eminent people of Uttam Nagar and used to collect money by threatening them.

“This audio is viral on social media in the public domain and according to our information, the police may have detained them and questioned them. The investigation agency is doing its job,” Sachdeva told news agency ANI.

Naresh Balyan refutes allegations

Earlier in the day, Balyan had refuted the extortion allegations levelled by the BJP, saying that he would lodge police cases against those who “spread lies” about him.

BJP leaders Gaurav Bhatia and Virendraa Sachdeva had played the audio clip of Balyan and Nandu during a press conference in the national capital.

Bhatia had accused the AAP of being involved in threatening people and extorting money from them. 

He had asked whether Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi chief minister Atishi will take action against Balyan and ask him to resign.

“If they do not ask for his resignation, it will be deemed that the extortion money is going to the party and its leaders,” Bhatia had said.

However, AAP’s Uttam Nagar MLA had rubbished the allegations and said, “I am sending notices to all those who have spread the false clip and getting FIRs registered against them. Remember, I am not a Congressman. Those who spread lies should be ready for legal action.”

(with inputs from agencies)