New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India dismissed a habeas corpus petition filed by Dr. S. Kamaraj, a retired professor, who accused the Isha Foundation of holding his two daughters, Geetha (42) and Latha (39), against their will. The petition, which sought to have the women produced in court, claimed they were being confined at the Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore.
During the hearing, the court took note of statements from the daughters confirming they were residing at the ashram of their own free will and were free to leave at any time. As a result, the bench concluded that no further action was required in the matter and dismissed the petition.
The Supreme Court’s decision aligns with a report from Tamil Nadu police, which found no evidence supporting the claim of illegal confinement. The case was initially prompted by the Madras High Court, which had directed police to investigate the allegations on September 30.
The dismissal, however, does not exempt the Isha Foundation from complying with other regulatory requirements, as clarified by the court. The foundation has denied all accusations, asserting that adults living in the ashram do so by choice and are neither coerced into monkhood nor isolated from their families.
