Police Raid Isha Foundation Ashram Amid Allegations of Coercion and Control

Chennai: A contingent of 150 policemen raided the Isha Foundation ashram in Thondamuthur, Coimbatore, on Monday. The operation was led by an assistant sub-inspector, along with three DSPs, and followed a directive from the Madras High Court to investigate all criminal cases registered against the foundation.

According to media reports, the police conducted detailed checks on all residents of the ashram, including room searches. This action stemmed from a petition filed by retired professor Dr. S. Kamaraj, who claimed that his two daughters, Geeta Kamaraj (42) and Latha Kamaraj (39), were being held against their will at the foundation. The professor alleged that the Isha Foundation was exerting mental control over individuals, turning them into sanyasis and severing their family ties.

During the hearing of the petition, the court raised questions regarding inconsistencies in the life of Isha Foundation founder Jaggi Vasudev (Sadhguru). Justices S.M. Subramanian and V. Sivagnanam questioned why Sadhguru, who provided a comfortable life for his own daughter through marriage, encourages other young women to adopt a sanyasi lifestyle.

Professor Kamaraj's petition highlighted the professional achievements of his daughters. The elder daughter holds a postgraduate degree in mechatronics from a prestigious UK university and began yoga classes at the Isha Foundation after her divorce in 2008. His younger daughter, a software engineer, also moved to the ashram. The petition claims that the foundation provided food and medication that adversely affected the daughters' mental health, leading them to cut ties with their family.

However, both daughters asserted in court that they were living at the ashram of their own accord and felt no pressure to stay. Despite their statements, Justice Sivagnanam expressed skepticism, stating, "We want to know why a person who married his daughter and gave her a good life has inspired the daughters of others to live a sanyasi life?"

The petition also referenced a case filed under the POCSO Act against a doctor affiliated with the foundation, accused of molesting 12 girls from a tribal government school. Advocate K. Rajendra Kumar, representing the Isha Foundation, argued that adults have the right to make personal decisions regarding their lives, including choosing a spiritual path, and contended that the court's intervention in such matters is inappropriate, emphasizing that both daughters are living there voluntarily.

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