Supreme Court on October 3 restrained Tamil Nadu police from acting against Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev-led Isha Foundation two days after state police stormed the premises of the Coimbatore ashram in response to a father’s habeas corpus plea alleging illegal confinement of his two adult daughters.
The top court’s decision halting police action came after a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud interacted with 39 and 42-years-old women in open court and in chambers to ascertain claims that they joined the ashram of their own free will.
“During the course of the interaction, both the individuals stated that they joined the Ashram when they were 24 and 27 years old, respectively…Both the individuals stated that (i) they are residing at the Ashram voluntarily and without any coercion; (ii) they are free to travel outside the Ashram which they have done from time to time; (iii) one of the individuals has participated in a marathon run extending to about 10 kilometers in Hyderabad; and (iv) their parents visit the Ashram periodically to meet them,” the court order read after the interaction.
The two sisters further stated in open court that they have been dealing with their father’s harassment since the past eight years.
What triggered police action against Isha Foundation and what is the case against them? BOOM explains.
What Are the Allegations Against Sadhguru's Isha Foundation?
Last month in September, Dr S Kamaraj, who retired as Head of the Department of Agricultural Engineering in Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, filed a habeas corpus plea before the Madras High Court alleging that his two daughters—Geetha Kamaraj (42) and Latha Kamaraj (39)—illegally confined at Isha Foundation’s ashram in Coimbatore. 69-year-old Kamaraj further alleged that his daughters were “brainwashed” into becoming monks and limiting their interaction with the family.
The “foundation is abusing certain persons, by brainwashing and converting them as monks and not even allowing the parents and relatives to meet the inmate monks”, the plea read.
According to Kamaraj’s plea, his daughters were highly educated and successful before they quit. The father also alleged that the foundation was doctoring his daughters’ food and medicine which compromised their cognitive faculties and leading them to break ties with the family. Life had been “hell” after their daughters “abandoned” them, Kamaraj told The Hindu.
This is the second plea the women’s parents have filed in Madras High Court. Dr Kamaraj’s wife and the women’s mother had also filed a habeas corpus plea eight years ago. The Madras High Court had disposed of the matter after the sisters issued a similar statement and asserted their free will in the matter.
The Isha Foundation website in 2016 also released a video statement recorded by the Kamaraj sisters.
Madras High Court’s Ruling on Isha Foundation Allegations
Dr Kamaraj and his wife have filed at least two habeas corpus pleas before the high court. On September 30, the Madras High Court expressed concern after their interaction with Geeta and Lata Kamaraj and directed Tamil Nadu police to “produce the details of criminal cases registered against the institution” while the Additional Public Prosecutor was directed to “collect all those case details” and place it before the bench.
“We want to know why a person (spiritual leader Jaggi Vasudev) who had given his daughter in marriage and made her settle well in life is encouraging the daughters of others to tonsure their heads and live the life of a hermitess. That is the doubt,” the Madras High Court orally remarked.
“You claim to be on a spiritual path... Don’t you think ignoring your parents is also a sin? the high court reportedly asked. “‘Love all and hate none’ is the basic principle of devotion, but we can see so much hate (in you) for your parents. You are not even treating them respectfully,” Justice Subramaniam told the Kamaraj sisters on their hostility toward their parents.
According to the high court order, on June 15, 2024 Geetha Kamaraj told her father that Latha, her sister was going on a fast unto death if he didn’t give up his legal protest and litigation against the Isha Foundation. The High Court also directed the Coimbatore Rural Police to probe the matter.
Following the high court’s order, at least 150 Tamil Nadu police entered the ashram’s premises in Coimbatore to investigate the issue. They entered the ashram’s premises on October 1, and left a day later.
The Tamil Nadu police told the Supreme Court it was merely following court orders when the top court orally observed that one “can’t have an army of police” in the ashram.
The Supreme Court on October 3 also stayed the high court’s order and transferred the probe to itself.
As mentioned above, Kamaraj had filed a similar before the high court in 2016. At the time, Madras High Court division bench had dismissed the plea after examining a report filed by the Principal District Judge (PDJ) who visited the Isha Yoga Center in August 2016 and interacted with the Kamaraj sisters.
According to the high court order, the PDJ, “has categorically mentioned in his report that there is no truth in the allegation, and that the detenues (sisters) are staying at the Foundation on their own will.”
The bench in 2016 further noted, “…we are of the view that as of now, there is no material on record even to remotely infer that Ms. Geetha Kamaraj & Ms. Latha Kamaraj are illegally detained by the Isha Foundation.”
The high court recorded that the two women were staying at the Isha Foundation on their “own volition following a path of Sanyasin which they like”.
Isha Foundation’s Response to Brainwashing Allegation
Isha Foundation, represented by advocate K Rajendra Kumar, refuted allegations and maintained that the Kamaraj sisters were adults free to make their own decisions, including choosing a spiritual path. According to the Indian Express, the foundation told the division bench that a court probe in personal decision was “unnecessary”.
The foundation said it did not “ask people to get married or take up monkhood; these are individual choices”.
“Isha Foundation was founded by Sadhguru (Jaggi Vasudev) to impart yoga and spirituality to people. We believe that adult individual human beings have the freedom and the wisdom to choose their path. We do not ask people to get married or take up monkhood as these are individual choices,” the foundation said in a statement released on October 1.
“Previously, this very petitioner, along with others, tried trespassing into our premises on the false pretext of being a fact-finding committee to inquire about the facts surrounding the crematorium being constructed by Isha Foundation and then filed a criminal complaint against the people of Isha Yoga Center. Against this, the Hon’ble High Court of Madras has granted a stay on submission of the final report by the police. Apart from this, there is no other criminal case against the foundation,” it added.
Are There Other Missing Person Cases Linked to Isha Foundation?
No.
In March 2023, Ganesan went missing while doing charity work at Isha Yoga Centre. His brother Thirumalai filed a missing persons case with the police and after a year of not getting any answers filed a habeas corpus plea before the Madras High Court.
During the hearing in March 2024, the Tamil Nadu police orally told the high court that since 2016 at least six people have gone missing from the Isha Foundation ashram. It was probing the issue, the police told the high court.
At the next hearing in April 2024, the police told the high court that five of the six people had been traced, though, Ganesan was still missing.
In June, the high court closed the matter after noting that the FIR was already registered and the police were in the process of investigating the same.
It is unclear if Ganesan has been found, or Isha Foundation has any role in his disappearance.