CBI arrests Ramdev aide Balkrishna in fake passport documents case
CBI arrests yoga guru Ramdev's close aide Balkrishna over alleged forged educational certificates used to obtain an Indian passport.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Acharya Balkrishna, a close aide of yoga guru Ramdev, on Friday after a special court issued a non-bailable warrant against him in an alleged fake documents case.
The arrest stems from a case registered by the agency on July 10 concerning the alleged submission of forged and fabricated documents to secure an Indian passport. The CBI had initially filed a case against Balkrishna on July 23 last year, accusing him of cheating and criminal conspiracy.
According to the agency, Balkrishna conspired with the then principal of Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya in Khurja, Uttar Pradesh, to obtain fake educational certificates. These certificates were allegedly used to procure an Indian passport from the passport office in Bareilly.
The CBI has charged both individuals under Indian Penal Code sections related to criminal conspiracy, cheating, and forgery. Balkrishna also faces an additional charge under the Passport Act for allegedly violating its provisions.
A CBI spokesperson said the enquiry established that the accused, in connivance with unknown persons, furnished false information and forged documents to the passport office to wrongfully obtain an Indian passport.
The development comes just weeks before Ramdev is scheduled to launch an agitation against corruption and black money from August 9 at Ram Lila ground in New Delhi.