Yoga guru Ramdev’s aide Balkrishna today sought 20 days time to appear before the CBI for questioning in a case under the Passport Act, claiming he has applied for a UK visa and his travel document is with that mission.
The agency, however, rejected his plea and asked him to appear without the passport tomorrow for questioning, CBI sources said.
The CBI had asked him to present himself for questioning today but sources in the agency said Mr Balkrishna sent a fax in the morning, saying his passport is with the British High Commission for visa purposes and a reply from there was expected after about 20 days.
In his fax, Mr Balkrishna said he was also consulting the Supreme Court lawyer, Mr Ram Jethmalani, and pleaded that any other date after 20 days may be given to him.
He said he came to know about the CBI notice, which was pasted on the ashram gate, yesterday.
The CBI has rejected his plea and asked him to appear without his passport tomorrow, the sources said.
Meanwhile, they said Mr Balkrishna is likely to move to the Uttarakhand High Court to seek anticipatory bail.
The CBI has earlier issued a look-out notice against Mr Balkrishna after registering a case against him under section 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC for procuring fake degree and for violating section 12 of the Indian Passport Act (knowingly furnishing false documents for getting passport).
The agency had also approached the External Affairs Ministry seeking revocation of Mr Balkrishna’s passport as the educational degrees submitted by him were allegedly found to be fake, the sources said.