Police search Isha Foundation Yoga Centre after Madras High Court order

A team of police officers conducted investigations at spiritual guru Jaggi Vasudev’s Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore, following an order from the Madras High Court. The probe was initiated in response to a Habeas Corpus petition filed by retired professor S Kamaraj, who claimed his two daughters were being held against their will at the centre.
Kamaraj alleged that the centre was brainwashing individuals, converting them into monks, and preventing them from maintaining contact with their families.
However, during the court hearing, the two women told the court that they were residing at the yoga centre voluntarily.
The bench of Justices SM Subramaniam and V Sivagnanam raised questions about the practices at the centre, questioning why Jaggi Vasudev encouraged young women to live as monks when his own daughter is married and settled.
The petitioner’s counsel also pointed out that there are several criminal cases pending against the foundation, including a recent case where a doctor associated with Isha Yoga Centre was booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The court has set October 4 as the deadline for the government to submit a comprehensive status report on these cases.
Speaking to India Today, Coimbatore district SP K Karthikeyan said, “We conducted the inquiry today at Isha Yoga Centre based on the directions from the high court. Officials from social welfare department, child welfare committee etc, were also part of the enquiry. We are looking into all aspects. The enquiry will continue tomorrow as well. A detailed status report will be filed in the court.”
Meanwhile, the Isha Foundation issued a statement dismissing the allegations as baseless.
“Isha Foundation was founded by Sadhguru to impart yoga and spirituality to people. We believe that adult individuals have the freedom and wisdom to choose their path,” the statement read.
The foundation denied pressuring individuals into marriage or monkhood, asserting that these are personal choices.
The statement further addressed past legal confrontations involving the petitioner, accusing him and others of attempting to trespass on their premises under false pretences and filing a baseless complaint. The foundation clarified that the court had already stayed the submission of a final police report on that matter and reiterated that there are no other criminal cases against them.
“Whoever indulges in spreading false information against the foundation will be strictly dealt with as per the law of the land,” the statement added.