Latest revision as of 18:33, 19 December 2024

[edit] Controversies

[edit] 2024/ Tamil Nadu Police report

Arun Janardhanan, Oct 19, 2024: The Indian Express

The top court has closed proceedings in a habeas corpus petition by a man, who alleged that his two major daughters were being held captive at the Foundation in Coimbatore

Before the Supreme Court closed proceedings in the habeas corpus petition by a man, who alleged that his two major daughters were being held captive at Sadhguru’s Isha Foundation in Coimbatore, the Tamil Nadu had submitted a report to the court chronicling its findings on the Foundation.

As first reported by The Indian Express, a battalion of 150 police personnel had entered the Isha Foundation’s ashram in Thondamuthur on October 1 to conduct inquiries, a day after the Madras High Court sought a report on all criminal cases registered against the foundation.

The court had ordered the inquiry in the same habeas corpus petition, filed by Dr S Kamaraj, a retired professor. He had alleged that his two daughters, Geetha Kamaraj (42) and Latha Kamaraj (39), were being held captive at the foundation. The women had appeared in court and said they were there of their own free will.

The Foundation had then approached the Supreme Court. In its report to the top court, the Tamil Nadu police said they did not find evidence supporting allegations of illegal confinement at the Foundation. The report said individuals residing at the Foundation, including brahmacharis and others, expressed they were there voluntarily and could leave at any time.

However, the police report stated that several internal mechanisms, including grievance redressal systems, were not functioning as they should. The Foundation has not responded to queries about the police report so far.

The report listed the disappearance of individuals who had come to the foundation for various courses. As per the report, the police recorded six missing persons cases at the Alandurai police station over the last 15 years. While five of these cases were closed, one case remains unresolved as the missing individual is yet to be traced. The report did not elaborate on the cases.

In addition, the police documented seven cases under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which deals with investigations into suicides and unnatural deaths. Two of these cases are still under investigation, awaiting forensic lab reports, the report states. However, it does not draw a direct connection between these suicides and the Foundation’s activities.

The report also details a case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. It states that a school principal had lodged a complaint against a doctor employed by Isha Outreach. The doctor was later arrested and denied bail, and the investigation remains active.

In a separate incident, a woman attending a yoga course at the Isha Yoga Centre in 2021 reported being sexually assaulted by another participant, the report states. The complaint was initially filed in Delhi, and a zero FIR was transferred to Coimbatore police. Though the woman later withdrew her complaint, the police have indicated they intend to seek permission to continue the investigation, as her statement was not officially recorded, and the accused was neither arrested nor questioned, it states.

The report also highlights an ongoing investigation into allegations that the Isha Yoga Centre encroached on land designated for tribal communities. The police have registered an FIR, and the case is currently under investigation, it states. As of October 2024, the report says, the Isha Yoga Centre was home to 217 brahmacharis, 2,455 volunteers, 891 paid staff, 1,475 paid workers, and hundreds of students and guests.

As per the report, the Internal Complaints Committee, required under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act, was found to be non-functional.

It also states that the Joint Director of Health Services in Coimbatore conducted a thorough inspection of the Isha Clinic. The clinic, while possessing a valid license until 2027, was found to be using expired medical equipment, and an unqualified individual was reportedly operating X-ray machinery, it states.

Child welfare experts involved in the investigation raised concerns about the lack of awareness among children residing at the Foundation about their rights and protections available under the POCSO Act. The report also noted that some individuals exhibited mood swings, with psychiatrists advising longer-term observation to assess any potential issues.

In the evening, the Foundation said in a statement, “Isha Foundation is a safe place for all seekers from around the world, with men and women from various parts of India and from many nations across the globe residing here. We are pleased that the Tamil Nadu status report submitted to the Supreme Court today has confirmed that the two female monks are living in the ashram with their own free will, with no restriction and are going out freely, with one of them even running a 10 km marathon recently. Regarding other enquiries, we want to mention that Isha Foundation is POSH compliant and has a working sexual harassment committee in place. With the police pointing at some improvement areas in the Internal Complaints Committee, the Foundation earnestly worked on the recommendations and sent the rectification to the concerned department.

“The Tamil Nadu police report also clarified that of the six people reported to be missing from Isha, 5 have been found. For the one person who is still missing, the Foundation proactively approached the police to lodge a missing person complaint after informing the family about the situation. We remain hopeful for the safe return of this individual and are committed to support efforts to find the missing person. Regarding the alleged child molestation case, the doctor in question was an employee of Isha Outreach, and the incident took place outside the ashram. The case is under investigation, and we have extended our full support to the authorities.”

“It is also pertinent to note that there is no crematorium functioning inside Isha ashram. Being a law-abiding organisation, we remain committed to fulfilling all the compliance requirements. We are grateful to the meditators and seekers who fully cooperated with the police despite getting inconvenienced in their regular spiritual practices. The Foundation is committed to function for the well-being of humanity through powerful yogic tools offered by Sadhguru and welcomes seekers from around the world to experience the transformational power of yoga.”