Supreme Court stays police action against Sadhguru's Isha Foundation, transfers matter from Madras High Court

The bench directed the police, which searched 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.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday transferred proceedings conducted by the Madras High Court against Isha Foundation on a habeas corpus plea filed by a man alleging detention of his two daughters, to the apex court.

The Tamil Nadu police, consisting of about 150 personnel, had conducted searches at Isha Foundation Ashram, run by Yoga Guru Jaggi Vasudev, at Coimbatore on October 1 on a direction by the High Court on September 30.

Taking up an urgent plea by foundation, a bench of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra interacted with two women monks aged 39 and 42 years virtually and in chambers and found that they have been living over there on their own volition and without any coercion.

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

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.

The court passed its order on oral mentioning made by senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi on behalf of the Isha Foundation, taking a strong objection to the High Court's direction and oral observations.

He 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 women concerned here joined the Ashram at the age of 24 and 27 years. A similar habeas corpus petition filed by their mother was disposed a few years ago, after the two women said they had voluntarily on their own volition joined the Ashram.

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

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Union government, objected to oral observation made by the High Court for having far reaching consequences. He said the High Court should have been circumspect in the matter.

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. 

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.