A Jain monk requested eight months to answer an Ahmedabad metropolitan magistrate’s summons, as in accordance with his faith he cannot use transport to commute and will have to walk to court from his place of stay at Kolkata, reported the Times of India.

The monk - Acharya Kirti Yashurishwarji Maharaj - was charged with forgery, for allegedly publishing a false government notification declaring that the government endorses ‘Bal Diksha’- a practice of renunciation of world by children and that the practice is not illegal.

The 60-year-old Maharaj has requested for eight months as the distance between his residence and the court is 2200km and he cannot walk more than 10-12 kilometres per day due to his old age and alleged spinal injury, nor can he use transport because of having formally renounced the world.

He also asserted that his absence will not affect the case, however the court rejected his plea and issued a fresh warrant against him.