New Delhi, Aug. 3 -- The Delhi High Court on Monday refused to grant bail to former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Naresh Balyan in a case under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), observing that the material collected during the investigation prima facie disclosed a "discernible nexus" between him and the organised crime syndicate allegedly headed by absconding gangster Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu, and that the invocation of MCOCA could not be termed unjustified.

Justice Manoj Jain held that a broad assessment of the evidence collected by the investigating agency indicated the presence of "continuing unlawful activity" carried out through threats and intimidation for pecuniary gain.

The Court observed that, at the stage of...