The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the police probe into the alleged illegal confinement of two women at spiritual leader Jaggi Vasudev’s Isha Foundation ashram at Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. Transferring to itself a habeas corpus petition of a man alleging that his two daughters were held captive inside the premises of the Foundation, a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud directed the Tamil Nadu Police to not take any further action in pursuance of the Madras High Court’s direction asking it to inquire into the alleged illegal confinement of the women.

“You can’t let in the Army or the police into an establishment like this,” the bench observed during the hearing. The bench, also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said the police shall file the status report, as directed by the high court in its September 30 order, before the top court.  The top court passed the order after the Isha Foundation approached it challenging Madras High Court’s order directing the Coimbatore Police to collect all case details registered against the Foundation and produce them before the court for further consideration. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Foundation, sought a stay of the high court order, and said around 150 police officials have entered the Foundation’s ashram and are probing every corner.  The bench, which interacted with the two women in-chambers through video-conferencing, noted they have stated that both of them are residing at the ashram voluntarily and without any coercion. “As regards the presence of police, in pursuance to the order of the High Court, it has been stated by the two individuals that the police left the premises last night, though they were there... In pursuance of the order of the high court,” the bench noted.

While taking up the habeas corpus petition, the bench permitted the father of the two women to appear before it through video-conferencing if he wishes to interact with the court in person or through counsel. The court said text of the high court’s order indicated that they are presently 42 and 39 years old respectively.  The bench noted the two women have stated that they are free to travel outside the ashram, which they had done from time to time and their parents have also visited there to meet them. The court noted it was submitted before it that a similar petition was filed by the mother of the two individual about eight years ago, in which the father had also appeared.  Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the Centre, said the high court should have been “very circumspect”. Madras High Court had on September 30 passed an interim order on a habeas corpus petition filed by Dr S Kamaraj.