Los Angeles: The city attorney's office charged yoga magnate Bikram Choudhury with 10 criminal safety violations at one of his studios.
Choudhury, his landlord, American Sunroof Corp., and its president, Christian Prechter, were charged with overcrowding, failure to maintain emergency exits and obstructing exits in the converted warehouse.
Each misdemeanour count carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and/or a $1,000 (Dh3,670) fine.
"Los Angeles is not known as a place that has fires in warehouses and we would like to keep it that way," City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo said.
Choudhury denied the charges and said employees of the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety have engaged in a five-year campaign to harass him. As a result of the charges, he will move the world headquarters of his Yoga College of India to Honolulu.
"Thanks a lot, LA," Choudhury, 60, told the Los Angeles Times.
