‘Six volunteers of Isha Yoga Centre missing since 2016’


A habeas corpus petition (HCP) concerning the disappearance of a volunteer from the Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore was brought before the Madras High Court, shedding light on a troubling trend of missing individuals associated with the center.
The petition, filed by Thirumalai from Tenkasi, sought the court’s intervention to locate his brother, Ganeshan, who has been missing since last year. Thirumalai’s brother had been residing at the Isha Yoga Centre as a volunteer since 2007. According to the petitioner, the management of the yoga center informed them about Ganeshan’s disappearance and lodged a complaint with the local police in March of the previous year.
Despite the passage of a year, the petitioner lamented the lack of progress in the investigation and the failure of the police to locate his brother. In response, the petitioner urged the high court to direct the police to expedite the search and produce his brother without delay.
During the hearing before a division bench comprising Justice MS Ramesh and Justice Sunder Mohan, additional public prosecutor E Raj Thilak disclosed that six volunteers had gone missing from the Isha Yoga Centre since 2017. He assured the court that the police investigation into these cases is ongoing.
In light of these developments, the high court directed the police to file a counter to the habeas corpus petition and scheduled further proceedings for April 8.