Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court reminded Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev’s Isha Foundation that it was not above the law in a PIL hearing on Tuesday, January 7.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Hemant Chandangoudar pulled up the foundation operated by the famous spiritual guru, for not disclosing the amount it has collected for the ‘Cauvery Calling Project’. The bench said, “Do not be under the impression that you are not bound by law because you are a spiritual organisation.”
The hearing was based on a petition filed by advocate A V Amarnathan, who sought directions to stop the foundation from collecting any funds from the public for the purposes of the ‘Cauvery Calling Project’.
The bench further remarked, “If someone is creating awareness of the rejuvenation activity, it is most welcomed but not by forcibly collecting funds.”
The state government was also pulled up by the judicial bench for not ordering an independent inquiry into complaints of forced collection of funds by the Isha Foundation.
“When a citizen complains to you (state) that funds are being collected in the name of the state, is it not the responsibility of the state to inquire?” questioned Chief Justice Abhay Oka.
In response, the state informed that it had not received any such complaint and denied authorizing the Foundation to either collect money or carry out any kind of work on government-owned land.
In his petition, the litigant alleged that the Foundation was collecting a substantial sum of Rs 10,626 crores for planting tree saplings along the 639-kilometer Cauvery river bank. It argued that this was a major scam because the “Foundation claims that it has conducted studies regarding the Cauvery Basin. But it ought to have submitted the said report to the State. And the State, after deliberating the said studies, should have given approval. But no such process is carried out.”
“The petitioner submits that no private organisation can be permitted to carry out any work on Government land, without there being a proper approval from the State,” the PIL stated.
The hearing was adjourned and will be taken up on February 12.
