Relief for Sadhguru as Supreme Court rejects plea against Isha Foundation

The Supreme Court Friday dismissed a Habeas Corpus petition against Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev’s Isha Foundation, which accused the organisation of holding captive two women.
The petition was filed by Dr S Kamaraj, a retired professor, alleging that his two daughters, Geetha, 42, and Latha, 39, were being held captive at the Isha Foundation in Coimbatore.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud noted that both the women were major and have stated that they were residing at the ashram voluntarily and without any coercion.
A habeas corpus petition is filed seeking direction to produce before the court a person who is missing or has been illegally detained.
The bench, also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, also noted that in pursuance of its October 3 order, the police has submitted a status report before it.
The bench observed it would be unnecessary for the apex court to expand upon the ambit of these proceedings which arises from a habeas corpus petition which was initially filed before the Madras high court.
The Supreme Court took into note statements of the two daughters are major and that they are voluntarily residing in an ashram, free to move out of the Ashram, etc. and said that no further directions in the habeas corpus is required, and it should be closed.
The Supreme Court also said it is clarified that closure of habeas corpus proceedings will not affect any other regulatory compliance which Isha Yoga Centre has to meet.
The apex court also observed that when “you have women and minor children in the institution there needs to be an internal complaint committee, idea is not to malign an organisation but there are some requirements which has to be complied with”.
The order comes after the Tamil Nadu police, in a report submitted to the Supreme Court, has found no evidence supporting allegations of illegal confinement at the Isha Foundation’s ashram.
The investigation was triggered by a September 30 order from the Madras high court, which directed the police to probe claims that two women, were being held against their will at the ashram in Thondamuthur, Coimbatore.