Bikram Choudhury was charged with 10 criminal safety violations at one of his studios.
Charges included overcrowding, failure to maintain emergency exits and obstructing exits in the converted warehouse. Each misdemeanor count carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.
Bikram’s practice of seeking intellectual property protection for his series of yoga postures and breathing practices had earlier courted controversy. Bikram was the first to try to franchise his yoga teachings, raising arguments that sacred teachings ought not to be privatized. Apparently the legal action surround the franchise was settled, though these new charges have mushroomed in his place.
Is Bikram the victim of a litigious society or the beneficiary of karmic justice?