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The Supreme Court on Friday closed the habeas corpus petition filed by a father alleging that his two daughters were being held captive in the Isha Yoga Centre, run by spiritual leader spiritual guru Jaggi Vasudev, and being brainwashed there.
A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra noted disposed of the case after taking into note the statements of the two daughters, aged 39 years and 42 years, are major and that they are voluntarily residing in Ashram, free to move out of Ashram etc. The bench said no further directions in the habeas corpus is required, and it should be closed. "Since both of them are adults and the purpose of habeas corpus was fulfilled, no further directions were needed from the High Court," said the apex court. Earlier, the top court had transferred to itself the habeas corpus petition from the Madras High Court. It had restrained the Tamil Nadu police from taking any further action against the Isha Yoga Centre at Coimbatore pursuant to the Madras High Court directions. The foundation had moved the apex court challenging the order of the Madras High Court directing the police to conduct an inquiry inside the Ashram in a habeas corpus petition. During the hearing today, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi representing Isha foundation, took objection to the High Court passing directions to the police instead of closing the habeas corpus petition. Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for Tamil Nadu, told the bench that during the police visit, certain regulatory non-compliances were noticed and there is no internal complaint committee in place in the institution. The CJI also observed that when you have women and minor children in the institution there needs to be an internal complaint committee, idea is not to malign an organisation but there are some requirements which has to be complied with. In it's order, the bench said, "It is clarified that the closure of these proceedings will not affect any other regulatory compliance in the Isha Foundation and Mr. Rohatgi states that any such requirements will be duly complied." The bench told counsel for the father of the women, "When you have grown children who are majors, you cannot file a complaint to control their lives." The Madras High Court on September 30 while observing that there were serious allegations against the institution, had sought the details of the criminal cases against the Isha Foundation. The top court earlier interacted with both the sisters in the chamber virtually and after the interaction, and had said that the two women informed that they were staying at the Ashram voluntarily. In its order, the top court had then recorded the statement made by the two women that they are staying in the Ashram voluntarily since 2009 and their parents have visited them on several occasions. A habeas corpus petition was filed by S Kamaraj, a retired professor from Coimbatore, in the High Court, alleging his two daughters were brainwashed to live at the Isha Yoga Centre and the foundation wasn't allowing them to remain in contact with their family. Isha Foundation has denied the allegation. (ANI)
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