 DY Chandrachud with Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra noted both the women are major and the purpose of the Habeas Corpus plea was fulfilled after the women made clear their wishes to live at the Yoga Centre.){kind=link}
The Supreme Court closed the proceedings in a Habeas Corpus petition filed by a father alleging that two of his daughters had been brainwashed to reside at spiritual guru Jaggi Vasudev’s (Sadhguru) Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud with Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra noted both the women are major and the purpose of the Habeas Corpus plea was fulfilled after the women made clear their wishes to live at the Yoga Centre.
The top court said that eight years ago, the mother of the women had filed a habeas corpus plea and now the father has approached the Court. The Bench further recalled it had personally spoken to the women during the last hearing.
CJI DY Chandrachud said that they had spoken to both the ladies and recorded their statement. He added that both the women said that they are living there on free will and that the court needs to close the habeas corpus plea.
Thereafter, the apex court closed the Habeas Corpus case against Isha Foundation. Nonetheless, the Bench made it clear that its order will not prevent police from proceeding with any other investigation.
The court said that the jurisdiction of the court under Article 226 while dealing with habeas corpus is well defined and it would be unnecessary for this court to expand the ambit. It also clarified that this order will not come in the way of any investigations being carried out by the police.
The top court also told the women’s father that he would have to win their confidence on his own. The Chief Justice remarked that for adult children, parents have to win their confidence and now they can see writing on the wall.
Earlier on October 3, the top court had transferred the case related to Isha Foundation and the Spiritual guru from the Madras High Court to itself. Furthermore, it had also stayed the order for police actions, after the case was mentioned for urgent listing and immediately taken on board.
The case arose after the High Court directed the Tamil Nadu government to submit details of all criminal cases registered against the Isha Foundation, after a man moved the Court alleging that two of his daughters aged 42 and 39 years had been brainwashed to reside at the Isha Yoga Centre.