HC refuses to quash FIR against Balkrishna

NAINITAL: Uttarakhand High Court today refused to quash an FIR against yoga guru Ramdev's aide Balkrishna filed by CBI for allegedly using fake educational degrees for procuring a passport but said that the stay on his arrest would continue.

Pronouncing its verdict on a petition of Balkrishna seeking quashing of the FIR against him, Justice Tarun Agrawal directed him to cooperate with the CBI in the investigations and barred him from leaving the country till the time the probe is completed, said Nandan Srivastava and Rajendra Dobhal, counsel for the petitioner.

The court also said that the Registrar of the High Court would be the custodian of his passport till the case is finalised by the CBI. In case, the trial court requires the passport, it might submit a written request to the Registrar for the same.

While noting that the case is making slow progress, the court said in light of some decisions of the Supreme Court regarding quashing of FIRs, it had decided not to quash the FIR.

Earlier, the final hearing on the petition of Balkrishna were concluded on Nov 30.

Balkrishna had moved the High Court after CBI had registered a case against him on Jul 23 for cheating and criminal conspiracy for procuring fake degree and violation of section 12 of Indian Passport act for furnishing fake documents to get a passport. The High Court had granted a stay on arrest of Balkrishna on Jul 29.