The Supreme Court dismissed all legal proceedings against the Isha Foundation on Friday, following a petition by a father who alleged his two daughters were “brainwashed” into joining the ashram led by Sadhguru in Tamil Nadu. The court ruled that the daughters, Geeta and Lata, who were adults when they joined the ashram, had chosen to stay there of their own free will. The Chief Justice criticized the Madras High Court’s handling of the habeas corpus petition, noting that the case should have been closed when the women appeared in court and confirmed their voluntary decision to stay.
The Supreme Court also rejected claims that the women were being unlawfully detained, emphasizing that the father and family could not control the lives of their adult daughters. The court’s decision followed an earlier suspension of a police investigation into the father’s accusations. Both women confirmed in court, including via video link, that they had willingly chosen to live at the ashram and that they had faced harassment from their father for years. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing the Isha Foundation, highlighted that the Tamil Nadu Police’s report corroborated the voluntary nature of their stay.
With this ruling, the Supreme Court quashed the habeas corpus petition, stating that the women had the right to make their own decisions about where they lived. The court also advised the father to rebuild his relationship with his daughters rather than resorting to legal action. The case was closed, affirming that the women were not being confined against their will at the ashram.
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