JOIN USIn a major relief to the Isha Yoga Centre, the Madras High Court on Friday dismissed a petition, which alleged that the foundation was forcing two girls to stay there against their will.
A habeas corpus plea, filed by one Sathyajothi, wife of retired lecturer Kamaraj, stated that her two daughters were held captive at the Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore.
The court had directed the principal judge of Coimbatore to conduct an enquiry about their willingness to stay there.
Following the court’s order, a three-member team led by Coimbatore judge R Pongiappan, who is also the chairman of District Legal Services Authority, submitted a report stating that the two girls in the Isha Yoga Centre confirmed that they were staying of their own volition.
After looking into the report, the bench comprising justices S Nagamuthu and V Bharathidasan dismissed the petition and said they were satisfied that the girls were staying of their own volition.
Observing that no criminal intimidation was involved, the judges said that no relief could be granted as prayed in the petition.
The judges also concluded that there is no record to believe that the two girls were detained illegally. However, they gave the freedom to the parents to meet their daughters in the Isha Yoga centre without disturbing the activities of the foundation.
The petitioner had said that her daughters, Latha (31) and Geetha (34), were forced to stay against their will in the centre.