HC says no illegal detention at Isha Yoga centre, dismisses habeas corpus petition

An inquiry by a district judge has found there was no illegal detention of two young women inmates, as alleged by their parents, at the Coimbatore-based Isha Yoga Centre, following which Madras High Court on Friday dismissed a habeas corpus petition filed by their mother.

The court passed the order after going through the report submitted by Coimbatore Principal District Judge R Pongiappan, who visited the yoga centre run by Isha Foundation and held an inquiry as per the high court order on August 10.

A bench comprising justices S Nagamuthu and V Bharathidasan in its order said it was seen from the report that the two women were staying at the centre "on their own volition and there is no illegal detention".

It said their parents were at liberty to go and see their daughters with due intimation to the foundation whenever they wanted to meet them.

The court, however, made it clear that no others except the parents the two women were allowed to visit them and dismissed the habeas corpus petition.
Petitioner K Sathiajothi had alleged that her daughters, aged 34 and 31, had been brain washed and detained at the centre and not allowed to meet them. She had sought a direction to the foundation to set them at liberty.

The judges said "since there is no allegation by the two women that they are restrained wrongfully and they are remaining in the Isha Foundation against their wish, it is not possible for this court to compel them to come out from the institution."

The bench after hearing all the submissions, in its order said, "We are of the view that as of now there is no material on record even to remotely infer that the daughters of the petitioner are illegally detained by the foundation." "Prima facie we are satisfied that the children are staying in the Isha Foundation on their own volition following a path of sanyasin which they like. Therefore no relief as prayed for in this petition can be granted," the judges said.