In a major relief for Jaggi Vasudev’s Isha Foundation, the Supreme Court directed the Tamil Nadu Police to refrain from further action based on a Madras High Court order investigating alleged illegal confinement of two women at the foundation’s ashram.
The Supreme Court has now taken over a habeas corpus petition that was earlier filed in the Madras High Court. The petition, submitted by a father, claimed that his two daughters were being held captive at the Isha Foundation’s premises against their will.
A habeas corpus petition is filed to bring before the court someone who has been unlawfully detained.
The bench, headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, along with Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, transferred the case and ordered Tamil Nadu Police to cease further investigation into the matter. The court also directed the police to submit a status report as requested by the high court but clarified that no further action should be taken.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Isha Foundation, sought an immediate stay on the high court’s directive, highlighting that around 150 police officers had entered the ashram for an extensive investigation. However, it was confirmed during the court proceedings that the police had vacated the premises by Wednesday night.
The two women, central to the petition, interacted with the Supreme Court via video conferencing, where they confirmed that they were residing at the Isha Foundation voluntarily.
The Supreme Court scheduled a hearing for the case in the week commencing October 14. During the session, the court will investigate the allegations made by the father of the two women.
The case first arose when Dr. S. Kamaraj, a retired professor from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, filed a habeas corpus petition in the Madras High Court. He alleged that his daughters, both highly educated engineers, were being brainwashed and held against their will at the Isha Foundation. He accused the foundation of abusing individuals by converting them into monks and barring family visits.
