Non-bailable warrant against Ramdev's brother

Dehradun, Oct 24: A local court today issued a non-bailable warrant against Ram Bharat, the brother of Yoga guru Ramdev, in connection with the alleged abduction and torture of a former employee of Patanjali Yogpeeth.

The warrant was issued by Haridwar's Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Archana Sagar, following which the police are on a lookout for Bharat, Haridwar SSP Rajiv Swaroop said.

Patanjali Yogpeeth is owned by the Yoga guru. "We have obtained a non-bailable warrant against Bharat and various locations are being raided in search of him. He is still at large, but we hope to arrest him soon," he said.

Bharat was recently booked for allegedly abducting Nitin Tyagi, a former employee of the Patanjali Yogpeeth, he said. Swaroop said if Bharat does not surrender soon, the process of attaching his property will be initiated. When told that Ramdev and his associates have alleged that they are being framed under a "Congress-sponsored conspiracy", Swaroop refused to comment but said everyone associated with Patanjali, including Ramdev, may be questioned to get to the truth and bring the culprit to book.

Tyagi was rescued and one person had been arrested in connection with his abduction, but Ramdev's brother is still absconding, he said. Ram Bharat was booked at Kankhal police station of Haridwar district recently under sections 365 (kidnapping or abducting), 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement) and 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) of the IPC.

PTI