A team of 150 police officers conducted a search operation at the Isha Foundation’s ashram in Thondamuthur, Coimbatore, on Tuesday, October 1, following a Madras High Court directive that sought a report on all criminal cases registered against the foundation. The operation, led by an assistant deputy superintendent of police and comprising three deputy superintendents, focused on verifying the whereabouts and well-being of the foundation’s residents and inspecting the premises.
The search resulted from a habeas corpus petition filed by Dr S. Kamaraj, a retired professor, who alleged that his two daughters, Geetha Kamaraj (42) and Latha Kamaraj (39), were being held against their will at the foundation. Kamaraj claimed the organisation had brainwashed his daughters, forcing them into a monastic life and severing contact with their family.
The court ordered the Coimbatore Rural Police to investigate and report back, while also requesting details of any criminal cases registered against the Isha Foundation.
“As per the court order, the police, including the SP, have come to the Isha Yoga Center for a general inquiry. They are inquiring with residents and volunteers, understanding the lifestyle, understanding how they come in and stay, etc,” the Isha Yoga Center said in a statement.
During the hearing, Justices S.M. Subramaniam and V. Sivagnanam expressed concerns over apparent contradictions between Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev’s personal life and the lifestyle he advocates for others. The court questioned why Vasudev, who had arranged for his own daughter to marry and settle into a traditional life, was allegedly encouraging young women to renounce worldly pursuits, shave their heads, and live as hermits at his yoga centres.
Kamaraj’s petition outlined the professional accomplishments of his daughters before they joined the foundation. His elder daughter, Geetha, was a postgraduate in mechatronics from a prestigious UK university and earned a substantial salary before her divorce in 2008. Following the divorce, she began attending yoga classes at the Isha Foundation. Her younger sister, Latha, a software engineer, soon followed her, eventually deciding to live at the centre permanently.
According to the petition, the foundation administered food and medicines that allegedly dulled the sisters’ cognitive abilities, leading them to sever ties with their family. Kamaraj also referenced a criminal case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act involving a doctor at the foundation, who was accused of molesting 12 girls at a government school.