Dehradun, September 7, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Patanjali Yogpeeth Managing Director Acharya Balkrishna was acquitted by a Special CBI Court in Dehradun on Monday in a nearly 15-year-old case involving allegations that fraudulent educational documents were used to obtain an Indian passport.
The verdict brings to an end the legal proceedings that began in 2011, with the court clearing Balkrishna of all charges in the case.
Reacting to the judgment, Balkrishna described the outcome as a victory for his faith in the justice system. In a Facebook post, he said that an unsuccessful attempt had been made over the past 15 years to break him through a false case, humiliation and mental torture, and expressed gratitude that “truth has prevailed through the CBI Court.”
The case originated from a complaint received by the CBI in April 2011. Following a preliminary inquiry, the agency registered a case in July that year under provisions relating to criminal conspiracy, fraud, falsification and use of forged documents, besides relevant sections of the Passport Act.
The CBI had alleged that certain educational certificates submitted to the passport office in Bareilly were questionable. According to the agency, the certificates were issued by Radhakrishna Sanskrit College in Khurja, Bulandshahr, which was stated to be affiliated with Sampurnanand Sanskrit University.
Investigators questioned the authenticity of the documents after examining university records.
The CBI filed its charge sheet in the case in 2012. Charges were framed in October 2013 and were subsequently amended as the trial progressed.
During the proceedings, the Uttarakhand High Court granted Balkrishna an interim stay on his arrest in July 2011 and directed him to surrender his passport before the court.
His passport remained deposited with the court during the prolonged legal proceedings. In 2018, the High Court permitted him to withdraw and renew the passport.
With Monday’s acquittal, the Special CBI Court has now cleared Balkrishna of all charges in the long-running case.
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