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The Isha Foundation, a spiritual organization headed by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, has been cleared of allegations of illegal detention by the Tamil Nadu Police. The police investigation, prompted by a Habeas Corpus petition filed by the father of two women who had joined the ashram, concluded that the women were living at the Isha Ashram in Coimbatore of their own volition. This finding was submitted to the Supreme Court, which had transferred the case from the Madras High Court. The two sisters, Geetha and Latha, who adopted the names Maa Mathi and Maayu after joining the ashram, maintained that they were in good physical and psychological condition and had chosen to live a monastic life at the Isha Yoga Centre. They also confirmed to the police that they regularly meet their parents, despite their father's claims of their confinement. The police report included CCTV footage of their meetings with their parents, along with handwritten submissions from the women, and statements from other ashram residents, staff members, and volunteers.
The police investigation was thorough and included interviews with 30 Brahmacharis (monks), 80 workers, 152 staff members, 17 students, 44 residents, and 42 visitors of the ashram. The report highlighted that the women were leading a healthy lifestyle, with one of them, Maa Maayu, even participating in a 10 km marathon. The police also submitted the CCTV camera footage collected from the ashram. The report detailed the number of individuals residing at the Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore, including 217 Brahmacharis, 2455 volunteers, 891 paid staff, 1475 paid workers, 342 Isha Home School students, 175 Isha Samskriti students, 704 guests/volunteers, and 912 guests residing in cottages. The police report also mentioned the existence of a crematorium set up inside the Isha Foundation, which had been objected to by local farmers.
In addition to the findings regarding the sisters' claims, the police report also included details about outdated medical equipment recovered at the Isha Clinic and a sexual harassment complaint against a doctor registered in the state of Telangana. The report further stated that the ashram did not have an Internal Complaint Committee in place, despite having a large number of volunteers from India and abroad. The investigation's comprehensive nature and the inclusion of these additional details highlight the Tamil Nadu Police's commitment to thoroughly examining the allegations against the Isha Foundation. The Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear the matter on October 18, will now review the police report and determine the final outcome of this case.
Source: Sadhguru Isha Foundation: Tamil Nadu Police Assures No Illegal Detention at Ashram to Supreme Court