Major relief to Jaggi Vasudev as SC closes proceedings against Isha Foundation
In a major relief to Isha Foundation founder Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev, the Supreme Court on Friday closed the proceedings in a habeas corpus petition filed by a man who had alleged that his two daughters were held captive inside the ashram of the Foundation in Coimbatore.
A Bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud closed habeas corpus proceedings against Isha Foundation after a Tamil Nadu Police report said there was no evidence of illegal confinement of the two women as alleged by their father.
The women were major who stated that they were residing at the ashram voluntarily and without any coercion, the CJI said, noting it would be unnecessary for it to expand upon the ambit of these proceedings arising out of a habeas corpus petition filed before the Madras High Court.
The Bench said the high court exceeded its jurisdiction by going beyond the production of the two women before it and should have closed the case after they stated that they were voluntarily living at the Isha Foundation.
The Supreme Court had on October 3 restrained the Tamil Nadu police from taking any further action against Isha Foundation as it stayed the Madras High Court’s order for a probe against the Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev-run Coimbatore-based organisation.
"You cannot let an army or police into an establishment like this," it had said, staying the high court’s September 30 order.
The Bench had also virtually interacted with two women whose father -- Dr S Kamaraj -- had filed a habeas corpus petition on which the Madras High Court had passed the impugned order. Alleging that his daughters were held captive in Isha Foundation, Kamraj sought a direction to the Tamil Nadu police to produce his two daughters.
