NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India has stayed a police investigation against the Isha Foundation in Coimbatore. The case stems from a complaint filed by S. Kamaraj, a resident of Coimbatore, who accused the foundation of detaining his two daughters, aged 42 and 39, at its ashram.

Kamaraj had approached the Madras High Court with allegations that the Isha Foundation had influenced his daughters and was holding them against their will. The High Court, in response, had directed the Tamil Nadu government to notify the Isha Foundation about the pending case. However, on Wednesday, a Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Mishra, stayed the High Court's order and summoned the case for hearing in the apex court.

The complainant, Kamaraj, will now appear online before the Supreme Court on October 18. The Tamil Nadu Police have also been directed to submit a status report on the investigation. The court’s decision came after Isha Foundation's counsel, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, presented the case before the Chief Justice.

During the proceedings, the Supreme Court bench spoke privately with Kamaraj’s two daughters via video conference. The women, who are now nuns at the ashram, informed the court that they were residing there of their own free will. One daughter joined the ashram at the age of 27 and the other at 24. They stated that no force or coercion was involved in their decision to remain at the ashram.

Rohatgi argued that religious freedom is a fundamental issue in this case. He highlighted that Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, the founder of the Isha Foundation, is a respected figure with millions of followers worldwide. Rohatgi contended that the High Court's order for an investigation was based merely on oral allegations, without substantial evidence.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Tamil Nadu government, also supported the view that the High Court should have exercised caution before ordering an inquiry into the matter.

Court’s observations

The Supreme Court, taking note of the daughters' statements, observed that institutions like the Isha Foundation cannot be subjected to police or military intervention without clear evidence of wrongdoing. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for October 18.