Court turns down plea seeking FIR against Ramdev, aide

A court in Allahabad on Wednesday turned down a petition seeking a direction to the police to register a First Information Report against yoga guru Baba Ramdev and his associate Balakrishna for publishing an article in a magazine brought out by them which allegedly defamed Buddhists.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate M A Khan rejected the petition of G S Shakya, the Managing Director of city-based Buddhist organisation Bauddh Commune International, who had prayed for a direction to the Kareli police station in the city for lodging of the FIR.

The petitioner had alleged that in May, 2011 issue of the journal 'Yog Sandesh', there was an article that defamed the Buddhist faith, its followers and the legendary Maurya Emperor Ashoka who is credited with having spread the Buddha's teachings through his emissaries world over.

The petitioners had submitted before the court that they had lodged a complaint with the Kareli police station but no FIR was registered.

The court, however, refused to pass an order on the petition observing that the petitioner had failed to produce any evidence that the impugned article was defamatory in nature.