Balkrishna case: HC fixes Oct 12 as final date of hearing

Nainital, Sep 15: The Uttarakhand High Court today (Sep 15) fixed October 12 as the final date of hearing in a cheating case involving yoga guru Ramdev's close aide Balkrishna, who is accused of using fake educational certificate for procuring a passport.

Justice Tarun Agrawal fixed October 12 as the final date of hearing in the case. During the hearing, the court observed that probes to decide Balkrishna's nationality is still going on and the process for cancellation of his passport is yet to be undertaken by the competent authority.

Earlier on July 29, the high court had stayed Balkrishna's arrest and asked him to cooperate with the CBI in investigations. The yoga guru's aide was also asked to appear before it on August 3.

The high court had also directed the CBI to file a reply on Balkrishna's plea within three weeks. Complying with the court's order, Balkrishna had appeared before the CBI office here two times last month but the probe agency failed to take out the required information from him.

Balkrishna was served notice by the CBI to present his original education documents before it, but the envelope delivered to the agency by his lawyer on August 27 had his ration card only, official sources said.

Balkrishna had gone "missing" on July 24, a day after the CBI had filed a case against him on charges of cheating and criminal conspiracy for procuring fake degrees and violation of section 12 of Indian Passport Act for furnishing such documents to get a passport.

He resurfaced on the evening of July 29 only after the High Court stayed his arrest.

PTI