New Delhi: Days after the Madras High Court directed the Tamil Nadu government to submit details of all criminal cases registered against self-styled godman Jaggi Vasudev’s Isha Yoga Centre, the Supreme Court on Thursday (October 3) restrained the Tamil Nadu police from conducting any further enquiry.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra passed the order after Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Isha Foundatio, requested an urgent hearing, reported LiveLaw.
Appearing for the Union Government, Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta supported the Isha Foundation’s petition saying that the High Court should have been more circumspect.
Earlier, the Madras high court on Monday (September 30) had asked the counsel appearing for the Isha Foundation – run by self-styled spiritual guru Jaggi Vasudev – that why Vasudev’s own daughter is married and settled well in life, while he encourages other women to renounce their material life.
“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,” a bench of Justices SM Subramaniam and V Sivagnanam had orally remarked.
The court was hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by retired professor S. Kamaraj, who alleged that two of his daughters aged 42 and 39 were “brainwashed” to reside at Isha Foundation.
While the two women said that they were staying at the foundation willingly and that no one was forcing them, the judges decided to interact with them in the chambers.
The court thereafter directed the Tamil Nadu government to submit details of all criminal cases registered against Vasudev’s Isha Foundation.
The Supreme Court on Thursday (October 3) transferred the habeas corpus petition from the Madras High Court to Supreme Court.
