On 1st October, a team of 150 police personnel, including three Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs), led by an Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) from Coimbatore, visited the Isha Foundation’s ashram in Thondamuthur to inquire about the people living there. The development came after the Madras High Court requested a report on all criminal cases against the foundation. The court issued orders to present a list of cases during the hearing of a habeas corpus petition filed by Dr. S Kamraj, who alleged that his daughters, Latha and Geetha, were being held captive at the ashram. Furthermore, he alleged that they were being brainwashed into becoming monks at the Isha Foundation centre.
In a statement, the Isha Yoga Centre said, “As per the court order, the police, including the SP, have come to the Isha Yoga Centre for a general inquiry. They are inquiring with residents and volunteers, understanding the lifestyle, understanding how they come in and stay, etc.”
Kamraj is a retired professor. In his petition, he claimed that his daughters had been professional women before joining the Isha Foundation ashram. He accused the foundation of administering substances that dulled their mental faculties. He also accused the foundation of preventing his daughters from contacting their family. In response to the allegations, the foundation stated that the inquiry was routine and that the residents were staying of their own free will.
The daughters have asserted that they were voluntarily staying at the centre. However, the court has expressed scepticism and questioned the role of the founder of the Isha Foundation, Jaggi Vasudev, in promoting monkhood among women while his own daughter was married. During the hearing, the court highlighted the strained relationship between the daughters and their parents.
The petition also raised concerns about a POCSO case involving a doctor at the ashram. The court has directed that a detailed status report, including any pending criminal cases against the foundation, be submitted by 4th October. Meanwhile, the Isha Foundation has maintained that monkhood and marriage are personal choices. The foundation reiterated that no one was held against their will.
