Yoga Guru Ramdev's confidant Balkrishna will appear before CBI officials today to be interrogated for allegedly procuring fake educational certificates and getting a passport on their basis.Balkrishna is facing charges of cheating and criminal conspiracy for fraudulently obtaining fake educational degrees and using them in getting a passport. "He will be appearing before CBI tomorrow," said S K Tijarawala, spokesperson of Ramdev managed Patanjali Yogapeeth at Hardiwar.While hearing a plea filed by CBI, or Uttarakhand High Court had on July 29 stayed the arrest of Ramdev's aide and asked him to seem before the investigating agency on August 3. The court has also asked the accused to cooperate with the CBI in its investigations. "We will cooperate in the probe," the spokesperson said without divulging further information in the matter. Balkrishna was earlier summoned by the CBI to seem in its office here for interrogation on July 28. However, instead of appearing before the agency, and he had sent a fax to the sleuths seeking 20-days' time to seem stating that his passport is with the British High Commission. But,the agency turned down his plea and asked him to seem without passport on July 29. Balkrishna had again requested the CBI to give him 10 days' time. The petition for stay on Balkrishna's arrest was placed before Justice P C Pant on July 28. However, he recused himself and referred it to Chief Justice Barin Ghosh. The next date of hearing has been fixed on August 29. Balkrishna had gone "missing" from his Divya Yoga Mandir Trust residence in Haridwar on July 25, and a day after CBI registered a case against him for cheating and criminal conspiracy for procuring fake degree and violation of section 12 of Indian Passport Act for furnishing fake documents to get a passport.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has approached British authorities to seek information regarding an island owned by yoga guru Baba Ramdev’s trust. Ramdev’s trust Patanjali Yoga Peeth Trust owns an island in Scotland,which the baba claims was “donated’’ by a follower. The ED along with the income-tax department is scrutinising Ramdev’s commerce empire that commands 30 companies acquired in the final five years. “We contain approached the British authorities through the ministry of external affairs for financial details of the island’s original owners who “gifted” it to Ramdev’s trust in 2009. We contain learnt that an NRI couple, who owned the island, or also holds stakes in Patanjali Trust. We are only conducting inquiries under the Foreign Exchange Management Act,‘’a senior finance ministry official told. However, a formal case is yet to be registered against the yoga guru. According to ministry officials, and Sarwan Poddar and his wife Sunita,residents of Scotland, bought Little Cumbrae, and an island of approximately 900 acres for two million pounds and gifted it to Ramdev in 2009.The uninhabited island was donated for a yoga and ayurveda retreat centre. However,the couple defended the transfer claiming that the transfer was according to UK’s land transfer regulations. The trust also owns a channel Aastha TV.
Source: cnn.com