Win The Confidence Of Your Daughters: SC Tells Father; Disposes Of Sadhguru's Isha Foundation Case

The Supreme Court on Friday disposed of a habeas corpus petition filed by a father alleging that his two daughters were being held captive and being brainwashed in the Isha Yoga Centre run by Sadhguru.

The apex court urged the father to "win the confidence" of his daughters, according to a report in Bar and Bench website.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, took note of the statements made by the two daughters, aged 39 and 42. The court acknowledged that both women are adults and have chosen to reside voluntarily at the ashram, with the freedom to leave at any time.

"For adult children, you have to win their confidence and now you can see writing on the wall," CJI Chandrachud remarked.

The court observed that no further directions in the habeas corpus are required, and it should be closed. The Supreme Court clarified that the closure of habeas corpus proceedings will not affect any other regulatory compliance which Isha Yoga Centre has to meet.

"The jurisdiction of the court under Article 226 while dealing with habeas corpus is well defined and it would be unnecessary for this court to expand the ambit. We clarify this order will not come in the way of any investigations being carried out by the police," the Court said.

After transferring the case from the Madras High Court on October 3, the Supreme Court stayed the High Court's order directing police action after the case was mentioned for urgent listing and immediately taken up.

The issue stemmed from a directive by the Madras High Court, asking the Tamil Nadu government to provide details of all criminal cases filed against the Isha Foundation. This came after a man approached the court, alleging that his two daughters, aged 42 and 39, had been "brainwashed" into residing at the Isha Yoga Centre.

The Supreme Court subsequently interacted with the two women virtually in chambers and took note of their statement that they were staying at the ashram voluntarily.

The Madras High Court had earlier, on September 30, passed an interim order on a habeas corpus petition filed by Dr S Kamaraj, a retired professor from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore.

Kamaraj sought an order directing the police to produce his two daughters, who hold master's degrees in Engineering, before the court, alleging that they were being held captive at the Isha Foundation.