ED books Baba Ramdev for Fema violation

New Delhi, September 01: Tightening the noose on the yoga guru, the Enforcement Directorate registered a foreign exchange violation case against Baba Ramdev and his trusts.

The Directorate registered the case on the basis of a report from the RBI and inputs from abroad on “suspicious” financial transactions done by Ramdev’s trusts, the official sources said.

The ED had earlier allegedly found foreign remittances and inflow of certain funds during its discreet probe in the case and the action has now been taken under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), the sources said.

In connection with its probe into Ramdev’s finances, the ED had approached authorities in the UK seeking financial details about an island in Scotland that was ‘gifted’ to the Yoga guru by a couple who are among his followers.

The Little Cumbrae Island, off the fishing town of Largs in Scotland, serves as Ramdev’s base overseas and also as a wellness centre. The Directorate has asked the authorities in the UK to help it get inputs on funding-related aspects of the island, the sources said.

The ED’s probe is aimed at checking the flow of money and transactions through various trusts floated by Ramdev including the Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust, Divya Yoga Mandir Trust and Bharat Swabhiman Trust, they said.

The agency had also approached officials in the island nation of Madagascar.

‘Motivated action’

Reacting to the development, Baba Ramdev’s close associate Ved Pratap Vaidik questioned the government’s motive. Vaidik said, “If the government knew about the misdoings earlier, then why it didn’t act before and why is Rajiv Gandhi Trust not being probed.

He also said investigating agencies are welcome to probe anything, adding that the government has become nervous because of the two popular heroes of the nation– Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev.

–Agencies