Tamil Nadu Police Files Status Report In Supreme Court, Submits Details On Cases Registered In 15 Years

Isha Foundation moved Supreme Court against a high court order, seeking a report from Tamil Nadu government on all criminal cases registered against Sadhguru.

New Delhi:The Coimbatore Police have filed a status report in the Supreme Court bringing on record details of cases registered in relation with Isha Foundation founded by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev in the past 15 years. The report has been filed by K. Kartikeyan, Superintendent of Police, Coimbatore district in Tamil Nadu.

The status report said, “In the last 15 years, in Alandurai police station within which the petitioner foundation is situated, with respect the Isha Foundation, totally 6 missing cases were registered and out of total 6 cases, five cases were closed as further action dropped and one case is under investigation since the missing person is not yet traced”.

“Further in past 15 years in connection with the petitioner foundation, a total number of 7 cases under Section 174 CrPC (police to enquire and report on suicide, etc) and out of which two cases are under investigation for want of forensic lab report,” the status report said. The police said a neighbour has approached the Madras High Court for the removal of a crematorium being constructed by the foundation, and the case is pending. The report said the crematorium is presently not functioning. The report said an FIR was lodged against Isha Yoga Centre for encroachment into land given to tribal people, and the matter is also under investigation.

The report gave details of a POCSO case registered by a local school principal against a doctor who was employed by ‘Isha Outreach’. The report said the doctor was arrested on September 5, 2024, and remanded to judicial custody. “All the bail petitions filed by the accused got dismissed….the case is under investigation for collection of connected records and the statements u/s 183 of BNSS of the totally 9 victim girls were recorded during the investigation”, said the report.

The report also mentioned a complaint of sexual assault filed by a woman in the Saket Police Station in Delhi. The incident occurred in 2021, when the complainant was attending a yoga course at Isha Yoga Centre.

The report said that the woman claimed she was assaulted by a man, who was also a participant. The zero FIR was transferred to the Coimbatore police. Later, the woman had withdrawn the complaint, however the police said it would seek permission for further investigation as the woman’s Section 164 CrPC statement was not recorded and the accused was neither arrested nor interrogated.

Citing the information received from the foundation as on October 1, 2024, the report said there were 217 Brahmacharis, 2455 volunteers, 891 paid staff, 1475 paid workers, 342 Isha Home School students, 175 Isha Samskriti students, 704 guests/volunteers and 912 guests residing in cottages at the Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore.

According to the report, the child experts in the enquiry team said there was a need for awareness programmes about child helpline, children’s rights and POCSO Act. The apex court is scheduled to hear the matter today. On October 3, the Supreme Court transferred to itself the petition pending before the Madras High Court, in which the high court had directed the police to report on criminal cases registered against the Isha Yoga Foundation.

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev's Isha Foundation moved the Supreme Court against an order passed by the high court, seeking a report from the Tamil Nadu government on all criminal cases registered against him and the foundation