New Delhi: The Supreme Court today paused a Madras High Court judgment that had directed Tamil Nadu police to look into cases brought against spiritual leader Sadhguru’s Isha Foundation.
Sadhguru’s Isha foundation in controversy
After taking over the case, the highest court requested a status report from the police. It stated that in accordance with the high court’s ruling, the police should not intervene in the case.
The Isha Foundation challenged the high court judgment before the bench, presided over by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, after hundreds of police officers entered into its Coimbatore location on Tuesday.
The high court issued an order for an inquiry after retired professor S Kamaraj filed a petition claiming that his daughters Geeta and Lata had been “brainwashed to reside at Isha Yoga Centre” in Coimbatore. He alleged that the foundation did not allow them to maintain contact with their family.
The Isha Foundation dismissed the accusations, stating that the two women, who were 39 and 42 years old, had been staying on the premises willingly. This was verified by the two women when they appeared in court.
Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, who took up the case today, stated that the investigation needs to go on since a doctor at the Foundation’s Ashram was recently accused of child abuse under the strict POCSO Act. Speaking on behalf of the Isha Foundation, Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi stated that the reported incidents did not take place on its campus.
The Chief Justice then inquired as to whether the two women were online so that Justice JB Pardiwala and the rest of the bench could communicate with them. To which Mr. Rohatgi replied, ‘they were.’
The Chief Justice said, “The first thing is that you cannot let an army of police in the establishment like this… what we will do is ask a judicial officer to visit the premises and talk to these two inmates.”
One of the women appeared before the court virtually and emphasized that they were living at the ashram willingly. She claimed that for the last eight years, their father had been harassing them.