The Madras High Court raised concerns about Isha Foundation founder Jaggi Vasudev’s practices, questioning why, after arranging his own daughter’s marriage, he encourages young girls at the foundation to adopt an ascetic lifestyle, including tonsuring their heads. The court’s inquiry came while hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by retired professor S Kamaraj, who alleged that his daughters, Geetha (Ma Mathi) and Latha (Ma Maayu), were being held captive by the foundation.The court, comprising Justice SM Subramaniam and Justice V Sivagnanam, also directed the Tamil Nadu government to submit a status report regarding the pending criminal cases against the Isha Foundation. Kamaraj’s petition highlighted concerns about Isha’s influence over its followers, accusing the organization of brainwashing individuals into becoming monks and preventing their families from meeting them.
Kamaraj further claimed that several criminal cases were pending against the foundation, including a recent incident where a doctor affiliated with Isha was accused of molesting 12 girl students from an Adivasi government school under the Pocso Act.
Despite the petitioner’s allegations, his daughters, who were present in court, refused to return with him, choosing to remain with the Isha Foundation. The court’s decision on the case is awaited, with the next step hinging on the government’s status report on the ongoing investigations.
The case has garnered significant public attention, raising broader concerns about religious institutions’ influence on individuals and the allegations of misconduct within such organizations.
