The tamil Nadu government was ordered by the madras high court on monday to provide information on every criminal case brought against spiritual guru Jaggi Vasudev's Isha Foundation. A panel of Justices SM Subramaniam and v Sivagnanam observed that as there are many criminal allegations against the Foundation, the subject warranted further discussion.“The learned counsel for the petitioner would also submit that there are several other criminal cases registered and allegations are pending. In view of the serious nature of the allegations raised against the institution and the way and the manner in which the detenues have spoken before us, we could form an opinion that some more deliberations are required to understand the truth behind the allegations. Therefore, the petitioner shall produce the details of criminal cases registered against the institution and the learned Additional Public Prosecutor also shall collect all those case details and place before us for further consideration,” the high court said.The court also voiced grave concerns regarding Vasudev's motivation for pushing other women to give up their worldly lives since he had given his daughter in marriage and helped her settle nicely in 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,” the Bench orally remarked.
The panel was considering a habeas corpus case that a retired coimbatore professor named S Kamaraj had submitted.
Kamaraj filed a motion with the court, claiming that two of his "well-educated daughters," who are 39 and 42 years old, were "brainwashed" into living at the coimbatore Isha yoga Center. Kamaraj informed the court that the Foundation's administrators had forbidden them from keeping in touch with their relatives.
He also disclosed to the court the existence of other criminal cases as well as ongoing accusations of sexual harassment and wrongdoing against the Foundation.
Additionally, in accordance with the court's earlier ruling, both ladies were present. The judges chose to speak with them in the chambers notwithstanding their claims that they were present at the Foundation voluntarily and that no one was pressuring them to be there.
The court then expressed its "further doubts" and questioned the Foundation's attorney about why Jaggi Vasudev urged other women to give up on the material world even if "his own daughter was married and well settled."
On october 4, the court will take up the subject once more.
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