Millionaire Yoga instructor Bikram Choudhary was instructed by a Los Angeles court on Tuesday to pay more than $6.4 million as punitive damage in a sexual assault and harassment case against him by his former lawyer Minakshi Jafa-Bodden.
Jafa-Bodden, who claimed that she was sexually harassed by the self-styled Yoga guru, was removed from her position as she started an investigation after a female student accused Choudhary of rape.
Six other sexual harassment lawsuits have been filed against the US-based yoga teacher in recent years.
The Indian-origin millionaire, who built his empire teaching yoga in the US and resides in Beverly Hills, on Tuesday told the LA County court that he was on the brink of bankruptcy because of his escalating legal bills.
"I have to borrow money from my family and friends," LA Times quoted him as telling the jurors. "I have no money."
Choudhary, during the hearing, claimed that he owned 40 luxury cars but they had been donated to the state to start the Bikram auto engineering school for children. The Los Angeles governor's spokesperson reportedly denied the claim.
Jafa-Bodden was awarded the amount on Tuesday as punitive damages, over and above the $924,500 she was awarded on Monday by the jury as compensation, reported BBC.
"I feel vindicated, I'm elated," she told LA Times.
In 2013, Choudhary had been let off by the court due to lack of sufficient evidence in a case filed against him by four women alleging sexual harassment. Three of the women alleged sexual assault while the fourth woman claimed that he tried to touch her genitals without her consent.
The jurors on Tuesday lauded Jafa-Bodden and came out in her support. While one of them said that she was a "warrior for women", another called Choudhary "disgusting".
A women who had filed a case against Choudhary reached an out-of-court settlement with the Yoga guru. The amount of the conditional settlement was not mentioned when she filed paperwork in the US court this month.
Five other sexual assault cases are pending against Choudhary.
