Illicit liquor recovery: 'Delhi Police has evidence against AAP candidate Naresh Balyan'

New Delhi: Delhi Police on Friday said that it has evidence against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Naresh Balyan, in connection with the recovery of a large haul of liquor in a house in his Uttam Nagar constituency.

Speaking to media, Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi confirmed that the police have some evidence against Balyan and that is why it had served notices to the AAP candidate to join the probe.

Bassi added, the investigating officer will take appropriate action in accordance with law, and if needed Balyan will be arrested.

The Delhi Police chief maintained that police is acting independently with no pressure from any quarter.

Meanwhile, AAP leaders - Ashish Khetan, Ashutosh and Sanjay Singh - met the Delhi Police Commissioner and kept their side of the story.

Later speaking to the media, AAP leader Sanjay Singh said, “We told Bassiji we aren't opposing investigation, but Balyan will join investigation after polls.”

The Delhi Police chief assured us that he will look into our side of the story, Singh added.

Balyan will appear before police on February 08.

On January 31, Election Commission officials had conducted a raid on Balyan's Uttam Nagar residence and lodged a first information report against him.

Around 8,000 liquor bottles were seized by the election watchdog. The bottles were labelled "for sale in Haryana".

Balyan had then said that the bottles confiscated belonged to a BJP worker.

"I have no link with this property. The BJP always orchestrates such games. The allegations are baseless. The liquor has been confiscated from a BJP worker who is from our village," Balyan told ANI.

Police had said the liquor was brought to Delhi from Haryana's Bahadurgarh, and they have also informed the Election Commission about the incident.

Balyan, who is a municipal councillor from Nawada in the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, is contesting the Assembly election from Uttam Nagar.