New Delhi, July 28 (IANS) Rejecting Acharya Balkrishna's request for 20 days time to appear before it in connection with a fake passport case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Thursday asked the aide of yoga guru Baba Ramdev to appear by Friday.


The CBI Tuesday issued summons to Balkrishna, who has been accused of using fake documents to obtaining an Indian passport, asking him to appear at its Dehradun office Thursday.

The agency said police officers, who had been sent to serve the summons, found Balkrishna missing from his residence.

Meanwhile, Balkrishna, through a letter, Thursday requested the CBI to give 20 days time to appear before it as his passport is in an embassy in Delhi.

The CBI, sensing foul play, said: "It appears he is missing from his residence for three days. If needed, he may be arrested."

The probe agency issued a look out notice for Balkrishna, who was booked for allegedly holding a fake passport July 25. The agency has also alerted airports to prevent Balkrishna from leaving the country.

Earlier, the investigating agency had received a complaint that Balkrishna held more than one passport.

After the crackdown here on Baba Ramdev's fast against corruption in June, the government had asked security agencies to probe the allegations that Balkrishna held multiple passports.

Balkrishna, who resurfaced in Uttarakhand's Haridwar two days after mysteriously disappearing following the crackdown, denied all the allegations and asserted that he was an Indian and held an Indian passport.

Baba Ramdev's business empire comprises 34 companies which are controlled by Balkrishna.