Gujarat HC seeks govt's response after man files habeas corpus plea claiming daughter eloped with priest of ISKCON

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court has issued notices to the state government, Ahmedabad police commissioner and others on a habeas corpus plea filed by a man claiming his daughter eloped with a priest of ISKCON with gold and cash and illegally confined.

The bench of Justices Sangeeta Vishen and Sanjeev Thaker issued notices on Tuesday to the government, Ahmedabad police commissioner, Meghaninagar police station inspector, and nine other respondents including priests of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKON) seeking their response by January 9.

A habeas corpus petition is a legal remedy seeking direction to produce a person who is missing or has been illegally detained.

The petitioner, an ex-Armyman, claimed that some priests of ISKCON Temple located on S G Highway in Ahmedabad city brainwashed his adult daughter following which she eloped with one of them on July 27, 2024, by taking 230 gm gold and Rs 3,62,000 cash from his (petitioner's) house.

He alleged that priests named in the petition used to administer drugs to his daughter regularly and that she is in illegal confinement somewhere in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.

The petitioner claimed police authorities didn't take effective action against priests despite repeated complaints made by him.

The petitioner claimed even after 5 to 6 months, he is not getting any actual information about the life of the corpus and the police have not taken any appropriate action to find her.

"The petitioner is fearing about the life of the corpus and as per the say of the petitioner, the corpus is given drugs daily," the petition stated.