In a big relief to spiritual leader Jaggi Vasudev popularly called ‘Sadhguru’, the Supreme Court gave a clean chit in a case filed by a man who claimed that his two daughters were forcefully detained at the Isha Foundation illegally after alleged “brainwash.” The reputation of the foundation was under stake. On Friday, the Apex Court dismissed the case stating that they have statements from two women who said they were voluntarily living at the organisation’s ashram without coercion.
The petition – claiming unlawful detention – was rejected as both Geeta and Lata were adults and living in the ashram of their “own free will”, a bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud ruled.
Immediately after the matter came to light, the Madras High Court had ordered a probe into the habeas corpus petition, after which police raided Sadhguru’s Coimbatore ashram and found that the two women were staying there on their free will.
On Friday, the Apex Court said since both the daughters were adults – they were 27 and 24 at the time of joining the Foundation, that the purpose of the habeas corpus petition was fulfilled by their appearing in the High Court, “no further directions were needed” from that judicial forum.
The Chief Justice of India made it clear that proceedings such as this could not be used to “malign people and institutions.”
It may not be out of context to mention that the Supreme Court, earlier this month, had transferred the case to itself the case then heard by the Madras High Court. It waited to hear from the police which was asked to investigate into the allegations made by the father of the two women.
