The Supreme Court on Thursday (Oct 3) transferred a case involving Isha Foundation and Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev from the Madras High Court. The transfer followed a petition by a man alleging that his daughters were "brainwashed" into staying at the Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday (Oct 3) took over the case involving Isha Foundation and spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev from the Madras High Court. This decision came just two days after the High Court had asked the Tamil Nadu government to provide details of all criminal cases filed against Isha Foundation. The move follows a petition by a man claiming that his two daughters, aged 42 and 39, were "brainwashed" into living at the Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore.
The apex court has also stayed the Madras High Court's order that required the Tamil Nadu Police to submit a report on all criminal cases registered against Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Isha Foundation, requested an urgent hearing from the Supreme Court, to which the Centre responded favorably.
The Supreme Court bench, comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, privately questioned the two women via video conferencing before issuing its final orders. One of the women claimed that their father had been "harassing" them for the past eight years.
“These are issues of religious freedom. This is a very urgent and serious case. This is about Isha Foundation, there is Sadhguru who is very revered and has lakhs of followers. The high court cannot start such enquiries on oral assertions,” said CJI Chandrachud, Bar and Bench reported.
A large team of approximately 150 police personnel and government officials inspected the Isha Foundation's Yoga Centre in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, on Tuesday. The inspection, led by Coimbatore District Superintendent of Police K Karthikeyan and District Social Welfare Officer R Ambika, aimed to review the conditions at the centre.
Police probe Coimbatore office of Jaggi Vasudev's Isha Foundation after Madras HC order