Supreme Court Rejects Plea Against Isha Foundation Of Two Women Being Held ‘Captive’

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a Habeas Corpus petition filed by a retired professor alleging that Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev’s Isha Foundation held captive his two daughters. The court said it was satisfied that the two women were residing at the Isha Foundation ashram in Coimbatore on their own will and they were to move out of the ashram. 

Dr S Kamraj, a retired professor, alleged that his daughters, Geetha (42) and Latha (39), were held captive at the Foundation’s ashram in Coimbatore. The Madras High Court then asked the police to investigate and file a report. It led to a team of over 150 policemen reaching the Isha Foundation headquarters in Coimbatore and conducting a search. 

However, the Supreme Court transferred the case to itself and asked the police to provide the status of their investigation. The police told the SC that they did not find anything that suggested forcible confinement. 

Dr Kamraj’s daughters also testified in court that they were living at the Isha Foundation ashram voluntarily and were free to move out of the ashram. After taking the police investigation report and the statements by the siblings, the apex court declared the Habeas Corpus petition be closed with no further directions required. 

However, the top court observed that closing proceedings do not affect any other regulatory compliance that Isha Foundation has to meet.