New Delhi: In compliance with a Madras high court directive, a team of 150 police personnel, led by an additional superintendent of police, entered self-styled spiritual guru Jaggi Vasudev’s Isha Foundation’s ashram in Thondamuthur on Tuesday (October 1) to conduct an inquiry.
The inquiry aims to verify allegations of brainwashing, confinement, and misconduct leveled against the foundation. Police officials, including three deputy superintendents, scrutinised the ashram’s premises, focusing on inmate verification and room inspections, The Indian Express reported.
The Madras high court’s order follows a habeas corpus petition filed by S. Kamaraj, alleging his two daughters, Geetha Kamaraj and Latha Kamaraj, were being “brainwashed” and held captive at the ashram. Further, S. Kamaraj alleged that the foundation was converting individuals into monks, and restricting their contact with their families.
The court has ordered the Coimbatore Rural Police to conduct an inquiry and sought a comprehensive report on all criminal cases registered against the foundation.
As per IE, Isha Yoga Centre responded, stating, “As per the court order, the police, including the SP, have come to the Isha Yoga Center for a general inquiry. They are inquiring with residents and volunteers, understanding the lifestyle, understanding how they come in and stay, etc.”
During the hearing, Justices S.M. Subramaniam and V. Sivagnanam questioned Vasudev’s lifestyle contradictions.
“We want to know why a person who had given his daughter in marriage and made her settle well in life is encouraging the daughters of others to tonsure their heads and live the life of a hermitess. That is the doubt,” the bench said.
The two women asserted they were residing at the foundation willingly, without coercion. However, the judges’ weren’t convinced and decided to interact with them in the chambers.
The court also expressed concerns over past criminal cases, including a POCSO case against a doctor working in the foundation.
“The petitioner in person would submit that even recently a criminal case under POCSO has been registered against a doctor, who is 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 court observed, as per the IE report.
The bench has directed additional public prosecutor E. Raj Thilak to submit a comprehensive status report by October 4 detailing all criminal cases registered against Isha Foundation.
