SC tells TN police not to further act on HC's order against Isha Foundation

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Tamil Nadu police not to take any further action against Isha Foundation Ashram, run by Yoga Guru Jaggi Vasudev at Coimbatore on a habeas corpus petition filed by a man alleging his two daughters were held captive over there.

A bench of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra passed its order on a oral mentioning made by senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi for the foundation, taking exception to the High Court's order of September 30.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta for the Union government also objected to the observation by the High Court's division bench.

The HC's division bench of Justices S M Subramaniam and V Sivagnanam had on Monday asked why Jaggi Vasudev was encouraging other women to shave their heads while marrying off his own daughter.

Upon an urgent mentioning, the bench interacted in chambers with two women monks aged 39 and 42 years, who appeared virtually.

The court found that the women said they have been living over there on their own volition and without any coercion.

The bench noted the women also said they were free to travel outside and their parents also visited them periodically. One of them said she participated in a 10 km marathon run in Hyderabad recently, the bench noted.

In its order, the bench transferred the matter from the Madras High Court to this court and directed the police which conducted search at the Ashram for two days to file its status report before this court.

The court also directed for listing of the matter on October 18.

It also ordered the father of the two women to appear before the court either virtually or physically.

Rohatgi questioned the validity of the HC's order which directed for police probe, after noting submissions of the father of the two women, that there were several other persons held up forcibly inside the Ashram.

Rohatgi said the two sisters joined the Ashram at the age of 24 and 27 years.

A few years ago, a similar habeas corpus petition filed by their mother was disposed by the High Court after the two women said they had voluntarily joined the Ashram.

Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, appearing for the Tamil Nadu government, that the police team at the Ashram were accompanied by officers from other departments.

Mehta asked the court to stay the High Court's order as observations made it had far reaching consequences.

On October 1, 2024, a multi-departmental team led by K Karthikeyan, Coimbatore Rural District Superintendent of Police, and consisting of officials from the Social Welfare Department and the District Child Protection Committee had on October 1 launched the inquiry at the sprawling premises of the Isha Foundation in Thondamuthur on the basis of the High Court's order of September 30.

The police inquiry also sought details about a case filed under the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act last week against a doctor allegedly working with the foundation.