The bench, led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, was hearing Isha Foundation’s challenge against the Madras High Court order after hundreds of cops entered its premises in Coimbatore Tuesday.
Source: NDTV
New Delhi: In a significant relief for spiritual leader Sadhguru, the Supreme Court has temporarily paused a Madras High Court order directing the Tamil Nadu police to investigate cases against his Isha Foundation. The top court has taken over the case and requested the police to submit a status report, emphasizing that no action should be taken as per the high court’s directive.
The bench, led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, was reviewing Isha Foundation’s challenge against the high court’s order after a substantial police presence was reported at its premises in Coimbatore on Tuesday.
The high court’s investigation order was triggered by a petition from retired professor S. Kamaraj, who claimed that his daughters, Geeta and Lata, were “brainwashed” into residing at the Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore. He alleged that the foundation prevented them from maintaining contact with their family.
The Isha Foundation has denied the allegations, asserting that the two women—aged 42 and 39—have been residing on its premises voluntarily. The women appeared in the high court, where they confirmed this assertion.
The Isha Foundation further claimed that the petitioner and others attempted to trespass while posing as members of a fact-finding committee.
Isha Foundation: Supreme Court Hearing on Investigation Status
During today’s hearing, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud acknowledged that a doctor at the Foundation’s Ashram had recently been charged with child abuse under the stringent POCSO Act, emphasizing the necessity for the investigation to continue. Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing the Isha Foundation, argued that the alleged incidents did not occur on its campus.
The Chief Justice then inquired whether the two women were available online so that the bench, which also included Justice JB Pardiwala, could speak with them. Mr. Rohatgi confirmed their availability.
The Chief Justice remarked, “The first thing is that you cannot allow an army of police into the establishment like this. What we will do is appoint a judicial officer to visit the premises and speak with these two individuals.”
One of the women appeared virtually before the court and reiterated that they were staying at the ashram willingly, alleging that their father had been harassing them for the past eight years.
Acknowledging that this was a habeas corpus petition, the Chief Justice stated, “We would like to hear both women in the chamber and will return in five minutes.”
The Chief Justice later revealed that the women informed the court they had joined the ashram at the ages of 24 and 27, respectively, and were residing there voluntarily. The court also noted that the women’s mother had filed a similar petition eight years ago. The Supreme Court has now requested the petitioner to appear before it.
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