HC orders inquiry into alleged captivity of women in Isha yoga centre

The Madras high court on Wednesday directed the Principal District Judge, Coimbatore, to visit the premises of Isha Yoga Centre near that city to conduct an inquiry with the inmates about their willingness to stay there and submit a report on Thursday.

A division bench comprising justices S Nagamuthu and V Bharathidasan gave the direction on the Habeas Corpus petition filed by parents of two women living in the premises of Isha yoga centre, 27 kms from Coimbatore.

The Principal District Judge, Coimbatore, who is also the Chairman of District Legal Services Authority, is directed to visit the centre by 3 pm on Wednesday and conduct an inquiry with the inmates and other detainees and submit a report to the court on Thursday, the order said.

On August 1, a retired professor Kamaraj and his wife had petitioned the Coimbatore Collector alleging that their two daughters had been held captive at Isha Yoga centre near Coimbatore and were made 'sanyasins'.

However, on August 5, Isha Foundation issued a press release refuting the allegations. "We would like to clearly state on record that all the above allegations of holding captives, brainwashing, and forcing individuals into sanyas or brahmacharya are absolutely false," the foundation, running the Centre, had said in the release.