The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has closed a two-year-old money laundering case against yoga guru Ramdev’s close aide Balkrishna due to lack of evidence.
The documents relating to financial transactions and information gathered by the ED do not prove the alleged wrongdoing by Balkrishna, agency sources said on Tuesday. The ED had registered a case under the Prevention of Money laundering Act (PMlA) against Balkrishna in 2012 on charges of alleged laundering of funds on account of foreign travels and investments made abroad using a purported forged passport.
The ED case followed lodging of an FIR by the CBI against Balkrishna for furnishing alleged fake documents for procuring a passport. A case under the PMlA is registered only after a criminal case is registered by any other investigating body. The Dehradun office of ED filed a closure in the case after the agency could not find evidence of money laundering against Balkrishna, the sources said.
The CBI had registered a case of cheating and criminal conspiracy against Balkrishna on July 23, 2011 for allegedly procuring fake degree and violating Section 12 of Indian Passport Act by furnishing fake and forged high school and graduation certificates to the passport authorities for obtaining the travel document.