SC pauses Madras High Court’s order against Sadhguru, Halts police action
S. Kamaraj claimed that his two daughters had been indoctrinated and held hostage at the Isha Foundation ashram.
On Thursday, the Madras High Court’s Court’s order against Sadhguru permitting police action against spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev’s Isha Foundation in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, was halted by the Supreme Court, after which the court transferred the case to itself. The Supreme Court’s decision came after the Isha Foundation challenged a Madras High Court order asking the Tamil Nadu government to give data of all criminal charges filed against the foundation.
A three-judge panel led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud declared, “police shall not take any further action in pursuance of directions of the High Court’s order. With reference to the said allegations, the Coimbatore Rural Police having jurisdiction shall conduct an enquiry and file a status report before this court.”
During the hearing, the Supreme Court asked the bench to file and submit a status report. The next hearing is scheduled to take place on October 18.
Allegations against Isha Foundation
The Supreme Court’s decision followed a petition brought by S Kamaraj, a retired professor at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore, who claimed that his two daughters had been indoctrinated and held hostage in the yoga facility of the Isha Foundation ashram.
CJI Chandrachud stated that he spoke with Kamaraj’s daughters, who were in the hearing remotely, and that they were staying in the ashram of their own volition. Kamaraj said in the petition that the Isha Foundation was brainwashing people, converting them to monks, and barring them from communicating with their families.
A team of police officers recently conducted investigations at the Isha Foundation in Coimbatore in response to the Madras High Court’s decision.
While hearing Kamaraj’s appeal that his two daughters, aged 42 and 39, were being held against their will at the centre, the Madras High Court questioned the foundation’s practices. The High Court questioned Sadhguru’s encouragement of women to live as monks when his own daughter is married and settled.
The plea also highlighted multiple ongoing criminal proceedings against the organisation, including a recent case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against a doctor affiliated with the Isha Yoga Centre.
Foundation’s Response
The Isha Foundation released a statement denying the charges as irrational. “Isha Foundation was founded by Sadhguru to impart yoga and spirituality to people. We believe that adult individuals have the freedom and wisdom to choose their path,” the statement conveyed.
The organisation denied forcing anyone into marriage or monastic life, stating that these are personal decisions. “Whoever indulges in spreading false information against the foundation will be strictly dealt with as per the law of the land,” according to the statement.
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