The Madras High Court has questioned spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev about why he promotes renunciation and a monastic lifestyle for young women, while having married off his own daughter. This query arose during a hearing related to allegations that the Isha Foundation, led by Sadhguru, had "brainwashed" two highly educated women into staying permanently at the Isha Yoga Centre.

S. Kamaraj, a retired professor from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, filed a petition asking for his two daughters, aged 42 and 39, to appear in court, claiming they were coerced into abandoning their family to live at the center. The daughters, who appeared in court on Monday, stated that they were staying at the center of their own free will and were not being held against their wishes. Both had given similar testimonies in previous hearings over the past decade.

Despite the women's statements, the court decided to investigate further. The bench, comprising Justices S.M. Subramaniam and V. Sivagnanam, directed police to compile a report on all cases linked to the Isha Foundation.

"We want to understand why someone who arranged his own daughter’s marriage is encouraging other women to shave their heads and live as hermits," Justice Sivagnanam remarked.

In response, the Isha Foundation clarified that individuals staying with them, including those who have chosen monkhood, do so voluntarily. The foundation emphasized that personal choices such as marriage or renunciation are not imposed by the organization, and that many people living at the Isha Yoga Centre are not monks. Additionally, the foundation confirmed that it has only one active police case, with another currently stayed by the court.