Supreme Court Halts Police Action Against Isha Foundation

The Supreme Court on Thursday paused a Madras High Court order that permitted police action against spiritual guru Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev’s Isha Foundation in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The case has now been transferred to the Supreme Court.

The judgment followed an appeal by Isha Foundation against the High Court’s directive to the Tamil Nadu government to submit details of all criminal cases registered against the foundation.

The Supreme Court stated that no further police action should be taken under the High Court’s directive. A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud ordered the Coimbatore Rural Police to conduct an inquiry and file a status report before the court. The next hearing is scheduled for October 18.

The case originated from a petition filed by S Kamaraj, a retired professor from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, who claimed that his two daughters were brainwashed and held hostage at the Isha Foundation’s ashram.

During the hearing, CJI Chandrachud spoke to Kamaraj’s daughters, who appeared virtually, and confirmed that they were staying at the ashram of their own free will. Kamaraj had accused the Isha Foundation of influencing people, turning them into monks, and preventing them from maintaining contact with their families.

Recently, a police team conducted inquiries at Isha Foundation following the Madras High Court’s order. The High Court had raised questions about the foundation’s practices and queried why Sadhguru encouraged women to live as monks while his own daughter is married and settled.

The petition also highlighted several criminal cases against the foundation, including a recent one under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, filed against a doctor affiliated with the Isha Yoga Centre.

Isha Foundation has refuted the allegations, calling them baseless. “The foundation was established by Sadhguru to promote yoga and spirituality. We believe that adults have the freedom and wisdom to choose their own path,” the foundation stated.

The foundation further clarified that no individual is pressured into marriage or monkhood, emphasizing that these are personal decisions.

“Anyone spreading false information about the foundation will be dealt with as per the law,” they added.