'Supreme' relief to Sadhguru, Cops to stop probe

The Supreme Court today restrained the Tamil Nadu police from taking any further action against the Isha Yoga Centre run by spiritual leader Sadhguru at Coimbatore. A three-judge bench presided by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud passed the stay order after the foundation approached the court against a Madras High Court order directing the Tamil Nadu government to submit details of all criminal cases registered against them.

The Supreme Court transferred to itself the petition pending before the Madras High Court and further asked the Police to submit the status report to it. The matter will be next heard on October 18.

The Supreme Court's order came on a plea filed by S Kamaraj, a retired professor of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore, who had alleged that his two daughters had been brainwashed and kept hostage in the yoga center of Isha Foundation ashram.

CJI Chandrachud said he spoke to Kamaraj's daughters, who appeared in the hearing virtually, and said that they were living in the ashram on their own will. The Chief Justice said the women had told them that they joined the Ashram when they were 24 and 27, respectively, and were living there willingly. The court also noted that the mother of the two women had filed a similar petition eight years back. The Supreme Court has asked the petitioner to now appear before it.