On Thursday, the Supreme Court prevented the Tamil Nadu police from performing any further enquiry against the Isha Yoga Centre run by spiritual leader Sadhguru at Coimbatore to the directions issued by the Madras High Court. The Court transferred the habeas corpus petition, in which the High Court passed the order, from the High Court to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court further asked the Police to submit the status report to it. The matter will be next heard on October 18.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra passed the order after an urgent hearing requested by Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, for the Isha Foundation. The Court ordered, ‘Police shall not take any further action in pursuance of directions in paragraph 4 of the High Court’s order’. For reference, para 4 of the HC order said, ‘With reference to the said allegations, Coimbatore Rural Police having jurisidiction shall conduct an enquiry and file a status report before this Court’.
Rohatgi sought an urgent hearing today, saying that a police team of about 150 officers entered the Ashram for probe following the High Court’s directions. Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, for the Union Government, supported the Isha Foundation’s petition, saying that the High Court should have been more circumspect. On September 30, the Madras High Court passed the order on a habeas corpus petition filed by a father alleging that his two daughters(presently aged 42 and 39 years) were being held captive in the Isha Yoga Centre run by Sadhguru and being brainwashed there.
Although the daughters appeared before the High Court and gave a submission that they were staying in the Ashram on their own volition. The High Court observed that there were serious allegations against the institution, and sought the details of the criminal cases against the Isha Foundation. The High Court also directed the Coimbatore police to investigate the allegations of a POCSO Case against a doctor in the institution and other allegations about arrested persons.
Comments