Dehradun, Dec 2 (IANS): Patanjali Ayurved managing director Acharya Balkrishna on Friday appeared in a court here in a case of acquiring a passport on allegedly forged documents.

The Uttarakhand High Court had earlier directed him to present himself in court by November 30 but allowed him extension in deadline after he requested for more time in view of his plan to travel to Nepal.

The court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (II) has now fixed December 21 for next hearing. 

Acharya Balkrishna is a close associate of yoga guru Ramdev.

The court had issued a non-bailable warrant against him in July 2012, following which he was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation from Haridwar in Uttarakhand.

The principal of a Khurja college in Uttar Pradesh, from where the alleged doctored documents were procured, surrendered later on. 

Balkrishna was released on bail by the Uttarakhand High Court on August 17, 2012. He has since alleged that the Congress government in Uttarakhand was targeting him due to vendetta.