SC dismisses habeas corpus petition against Sadhguru's Isha Foundation

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a habeas corpus petition filed by a father who claimed that his two daughters were being held captive and brainwashed at Jaggi Vasudev or self-styled spiritual leader Sadhguru's Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore.

The court considered the statements of the two daughters, aged 39 and 42, noting that they are adults who are voluntarily living at the ashram and are free to leave whenever they choose. As a result, the court determined that no further action was necessary in the habeas corpus case, and it should be closed.

The Supreme Court clarified that the closure of the habeas corpus proceedings will not impact any other regulatory obligations that the Isha Yoga Centre must fulfill.

Top court's previous ruling
In its earlier ruling on October 3, the apex court court had instructed the Tamil Nadu Police to refrain from acting on the Madras High Court's order, which had directed an investigation into the alleged illegal confinement of the women at the ashram.

Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, leading the bench alongside Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, remarked, "You can't let in the Army or the police into an establishment like this." The bench also ordered the police to file a status report, as previously directed by the high court on September 30, before the Supreme Court.

The apex court transferred the case to itself after a complaint filed by the Sadhguru-led non-profit over the Madra HC probe which allowed several police officers to raid its Coimbatore premises on the kidnapping allegations.

The HC's order for an investigation came after retired professor Dr S Kamara raised a habeas corpus petition alleging that two of his daughters, and others, are being held at the Coimbatore ashram against their will, despite one woman appearing before the HC to testify otherwise. He further alleged that the Foundation has "brainwashed" the sisters leading to severing all contacts with their family.

Isha Foundation's response
Sadhguru's organisation refuted the allegations in an official statement issued on the same day.

"Isha Foundation was founded by Sadhguru 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. Isha Yoga Center is home to thousands who are not monks and a few who have taken Brahmacharya or Monkhood," it read.

Moreover, the Foundation had also claimed in the statement that the recent visits by police, including the Superintendent of Police, were part of a routine inquiry and not a raid. It said the officers were interviewing residents and volunteers to gain insights into their lifestyle and the nature of their stay at the centre.