Sadhguru's Isha Foundation Gets Breather Against Police Action As SC Stays Madras HC Order

The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed a Madras High Court order permitting police action against spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev's Isha Foundation in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, and transferred the case to itself.

The Supreme Court's ruling came after the Isha Foundation challenged the Madras High Court's directive, which had instructed the Tamil Nadu government to provide details of all criminal cases filed against the foundation.

"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," said a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud.

During the proceedings, the Supreme Court asked for a status report to be filed and submitted. The next hearing is scheduled for 18 October.

The Supreme Court's decision was based on a plea by S Kamaraj, a retired professor from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore, who claimed his two daughters had been brainwashed and were being held at the Isha Foundation's yoga centre.

CJI Chandrachud stated that he had spoken with Kamaraj's daughters, who appeared virtually during the hearing, and confirmed that they were residing at the ashram of their own free will.

In his petition, Kamaraj alleged that the Isha Foundation was manipulating individuals, turning them into monks, and preventing them from maintaining contact with their families.

Recently, following the Madras High Court's order, a police team conducted investigations at the Isha Foundation's premises in Coimbatore.

During the hearing of Kamaraj's plea, which claimed that his two daughters, aged 42 and 39, were being held against their will at the ashram, the High Court had raised concerns about the foundation's practices. It also questioned why Sadhguru encouraged women to adopt monkhood while his own daughter was married and living a settled life.

The plea also referenced several criminal cases pending against the foundation, including a recent case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act involving a doctor associated with the Isha Yoga Centre.

In response, the Isha Foundation issued a statement refuting the accusations as unfounded. "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 read.

The foundation denied any coercion into marriage or monkhood, asserting that such decisions are personal choices.

"Whoever indulges in spreading false information against the foundation will be strictly dealt with as per the law of the land," the statement added.