Acharya Balkrishna acquitted by CBI Court in 15-year-old passport fraud case

Dehradun: Acharya Balkrishna, Managing Director of Patanjali Yogpeeth and a close associate of yoga guru Baba Ramdev, received major relief on Monday when a Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Court here acquitted him of all charges in a nearly 15-year-old case involving the alleged use of fraudulent educational documents to obtain an Indian passport.

The lengthy legal battle, which began in 2011, concluded on Monday with the Special CBI Court in Dehradun clearing Balkrishna of all charges.

Reacting to the verdict, Balkrishna described the outcome as a victory for his faith in the justice system. In his Facebook post, he wrote, “For the past 15 years, an unsuccessful attempt was made to break me from within by trapping me in a false case and subjecting me to humiliation, disgrace, and mental torture. Ultimately, by the grace of God, the blessings of the Guru, the blessings of elders, and the love, prayers, and good wishes of all of you, truth has prevailed through the CBI Court. From the depths of my heart, I express my gratitude and offer my respectful salutations for your kindness, love, and blessings.”

The case originated from a complaint received in April 2011. After a preliminary inquiry, the CBI registered a formal case in July 2011, invoking sections related to criminal conspiracy, fraud, falsification and use of forged documents, along with provisions of the Passport Act.

The agency alleged that certain educational certificates submitted to the passport office in Bareilly were questionable. Investigators claimed the certificates were issued by Radhakrishna Sanskrit College in Khurja, Bulandshahr, which was said to be affiliated with Sampurnanand Sanskrit University.

The CBI questioned the authenticity of these documents after examining university records.

A charge sheet was filed in court in 2012.

During the probe, the Uttarakhand High Court granted Balkrishna an interim stay on his arrest in July 2011 and directed him to surrender his passport to the court.

Charges were framed in October 2013 (later amended), and the trial continued for years.

Balkrishna’s passport remained deposited with the court throughout the prolonged proceedings.

In 2018, the High Court permitted him to withdraw and renew it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

IANS

[email protected]