Produce details of cases registered against Isha Foundation: Madras High Court tells police

Chennai: The Madras High Court on Monday directed the Coimbatore police to collect all case details registered against Isha Foundation at Vellingiri foothills in Coimbatore district and produce them before it for further consideration.

A division bench comprising Justices S M Subramaniam and V Sivagnanam passed an interim order on a Habeas corpus petition filed by Dr S Kamaraj, which sought a direction to the police to produce his two daughters, whom he alleged were held captive inside 'Isha Foundation' before the court and set them at liberty.

The bench said it had examined both the detenues and the petitioner.

The petitioner was a retired professor from the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. He has two daughters and both had masters in Engineering. Both of them joined Isha Foundation. Now, the grievances of the petitioner was that the foundation was abusing certain persons, by brainwashing and converting them as monks and not even allowing the parents and relatives to meet them.

The situation inside the institution was also widely criticized by the petitioner in the present petition. The petitioner in person would submit that even recently a criminal case under POCSO has been registered against a doctor, who was working in the very same institution. The allegation against the said person was that he molested 12 girls studying in the Adivasi Government School, the bench added.

The bench said the counsel for the petitioner submitted there were several other criminal cases registered and allegations pending.

"In view of the serious nature of the allegations raised against the institution and the way and the manner in which the detenues have spoken before us, we could form an opinion that some more delebrations are required to understand the truth behind the allegations. Therefore, the petitioner shall produce the details of criminal cases registered against the institution and the Additional Public Prosecutor also shall collect all those case details and place them before us for further consideration", the bench added.

The bench said the petitioner has stated that on June 15, 2024 his elder daughter called the petitioner over mobile and said the younger sibling was fasting unto death till he gave up his legal protest and litigations against Isha Yoga Centre.

"With reference to the said allegations, Coimbatore Rural Police having jurisdiction shall conduct an enquiry and file a status report before this Court", the bench added and posted to October 4, further hearing of the case.