Revoke Balkrishna's passport, says CBI

Close on the heels of slapping a case against Yoga guru Ramdev's close aide Balkrishna on charges of cheating and forgery, CBI has approached the external affairs ministry seeking revocation of his passport, as the agency alleged that it was procured on the basis of fake documents.

Close on the heels of slapping a case against Yoga guru Ramdev's close aide Balkrishna on charges of cheating and forgery, CBI has approached the external affairs ministry seeking revocation of his passport, as the agency alleged that it was procured on the basis of fake documents.

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The agency has also issued a look out notice against Balkrishna after it registered a case against him under section 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) for procuring a fake degree and violation of section 12 of the Indian Passport Act (knowingly furnishing false documents for getting passport), CBI officials said.

Strongly defending Balkrishna, Ramdev alleged that there is a conspiracy by politicians to malign his image. "Responsibility for giving a degree lies with the university... How is Balkrishna responsible if any fault is found in his degree? He has not done anything unconstitutional or illegal," Ramdev told reporters.

"Headmaster of Radhakrishan Sanskrit University, where Balkrishan pursued his eduction, Acharya Naresh Chand Dwivedi has already said that his degrees are real and he studied in the institute," Ramdev said.

CBI sources said agency has written to the MEA to revoke the passport of Balkrishna. "Since the passport is with him only, we have sought not only revocation of the travel document but also issuance of a Look out Notice against him so that he does not flee the country," the sources said.

The notice has been sent to airports, ports, major bus depots and border check points especially around the Indo-Nepal border. Investigations on his citizenship were underway to ascertain whether he is an Indian or Nepali citizen, they said.