The Supreme Court on Thursday restrained the Tamil Nadu police from taking any further action against the Isha Foundation led by spiritual guru Jaggi Vasudev based on Madras High Court’s directions. The Chief Justice-led bench also interacted with the monks, whose parents filed a habeas corpus petition at HC.
Hearing the case, a bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra ordered, "Police shall not take any further action in pursuance of directions in paragraph 4 of the High Court's order.” The HC had directed the Coimbatore district police to conduct an inquiry while hearing a petition by monks’ parents and file a status report.
The Madras High Court came down heavily on Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev and his Isha Yoga foundation and ordered further probe by the police. As many as 150 police personnel conducted searches at Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore. The habeas corpus petition filed by S. Kamaraj, a retired professor and the father of two girls who are allegedly at the foundation ashram against their will. Kamaraj in his petition before the Madras High Court said that his two daughters – Geetha Kamaraj (42) and Latha Kamaraj (39), were brainwashed by Sadhguru and the Isha Foundation and were forced into monastic life.
The Supreme Court judges went into chambers to interact with the two women in private through video-conferencing about the facts of the case. After interacting with the monks, Chief Justice Chandrachud said the women informed the bench that they were staying voluntarily at the Ashram. The women also informed the judges that they are not facing any coercion in the Ashram, Live Law reported.
