The Supreme Court has dismissed a habeas corpus petition filed by a father who claimed that his two daughters were being held against their will and brainwashed at the Isha Yoga Centre.
The court noted the statements of the two women, aged 39 and 42, confirming that they are legal adults and are voluntarily staying at the ashram, with the freedom to leave whenever they wish. As a result, the court concluded that no further action was necessary, and the case was closed.
During the hearing, the bench personally interacted with the two women, who affirmed that they were free to move and had participated in various activities at the Ashram. The Court noted that one of the women had even recently completed a 10-kilometer marathon.
However, the court clarified that the closure of this habeas corpus case does not exempt the Isha Yoga Centre from fulfilling any other legal or regulatory obligations.
The Supreme Court also criticized the Madras High Court’s previous decision to direct a police inquiry into other allegations against the Isha Yoga Centre based on the habeas corpus petition. The bench, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, noted that the High Court overstepped its jurisdiction, stating, “Since both women are adults, and the purpose of the habeas corpus petition has been fulfilled, no further directions are needed from the High Court.”
The petition, originally filed by the father of the two women, claimed that his daughters were being held against their will and brainwashed by the Ashram. However, Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing the Isha Foundation, pointed out that the Tamil Nadu police’s status report indicated the women were staying at the Ashram voluntarily. Rohatgi also argued that the High Court’s directions for an inquiry were unwarranted, given the nature of the habeas corpus petition.
Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra, representing the Tamil Nadu government, requested the Court to clarify that the closure of the habeas corpus petition would not prevent the police from investigating other allegations related to regulatory compliance at the Isha Foundation. The bench agreed, stating that the closure of the habeas corpus case would not affect any ongoing or future regulatory requirements that the Foundation must comply with.
(With inputs from Live Law)
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