SC restrains TN police from action against Sadhguru's Isha Yoga Centre; transfers petition from Madras HC
Oct 03, 2024
New Delhi [India], October 3 : The Supreme Court on Thursday restrained the Tamil Nadu police from taking any further action against the Isha Yoga Centre run by spiritual leader spiritual guru Jaggi Vasudev at Coimbatore pursuant to the Madras High Court directions.
A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra transferred to itself from High Court the habeas corpus petition, in which the High Court passed the order.
It asked the police to submit the status report, sought by the High Court, to it.
"Police shall not take any further action in pursuance of directions in paragraph 4 of the High Court's order," ordered the bench.
The order of the apex court came after an urgent hearing requested by senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, for the Isha Foundation, saying that a police team of about 150 officers entered the Ashram for investigation following the High Court's directions.
The bench said, "You cannot let an army or police into an establishment like this."
Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, for the Centre, supported the Isha Foundation's petition and said that the High Court should have been more circumspect.
The Madras High Court on September 30 while hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by a father alleging that his two daughters were being held captive in the Isha Yoga Centre and being brainwashed there, sought a report from the police on all criminal cases registered against the institution.
Approaching the apex court, Rohatgi said the two women appeared before the High Court and had said that they were staying in the Ashram on their own will.
Hearing the case, the bench interacted with both the sisters in the chamber virtually and after the interaction, CJI said that the two women informed that they were staying at the Ashram voluntarily. CJI also said that they have informed that the police team left the Ashram last night.
In its order, the top court recorded the statement made by the two women (who are 32 and and 49 now) that they are staying in the Ashram voluntarily since 2009 and their parents have visited them on several occasions.
In fact, one of the women had participated in a marathon race recently, noted the apex court. The police team left the ashram last night, women told the apex court.
A habeas corpus petition filed by S Kamaraj, a retired professor from Coimbatore, in the High Court, alleging his two daughters were brainwashed to live at the Isha Yoga Centre and foundation wasn't allowing them to remain in contact with their family.
Isha Foundation has denied the allegation.
