The Madras High Court has transferred the investigation into the disappearance of a volunteer associated with the Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore to the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID), expressing dissatisfaction over the police’s failure to make meaningful progress in the case.
Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan passed the order on October 27 in Thirumalai v. Superintendent of Police, Coimbatore, observing that the local police had not completed the investigation despite previously assuring the Court that a final report would be filed within three months.
The Court noted that even after receiving additional time, the investigating authorities had failed to take the necessary steps in Crime No. 26 of 2023.
“Even till today, the second respondent did not even proceed with the investigation and did not take steps to complete the investigation,” the Court observed.
The matter relates to the disappearance of Ganesan, a 46-year-old volunteer associated with the Isha Yoga Centre, founded by Jaggi Vasudev. He reportedly went missing from the Coimbatore centre in March 2023.
Concerned after being unable to reach his brother for several days, Thirumalai contacted the ashram. He was reportedly informed that Ganesan, who worked at the centre, had not turned up for duty for two days.
A missing person complaint was subsequently lodged at the Alandurai Police Station in Coimbatore.
With no breakthrough in the search, Thirumalai approached the High Court through a habeas corpus petition, alleging that the police had failed to trace his brother.
The case also brought wider attention to reports of missing persons associated with the Isha Foundation. During proceedings in March 2024, the Tamil Nadu Police informed the High Court that six people had gone missing from the institution since 2016.
In a subsequent hearing in April 2024, the police told a Division Bench of Justices MS Ramesh and Sunder Mohan that they had questioned 36 people, including employees and volunteers connected with the centre. The authorities sought further time to submit details of the investigation.
Thirumalai later filed the present petition seeking to remove the case from the local police and hand it over to the CB-CID.
During the proceedings, the police submitted a status report on June 9 this year, assuring the Court that the investigation would be completed and a final report filed within three months.
However, the assurance did not translate into action.
Taking note of the continued delay, Justice Ilanthiraiyan concluded that the investigation could no longer remain with the Alandurai Police Station and ordered its transfer to the CB-CID.
The Court directed the CB-CID, Coimbatore, to undertake a proper and fair investigation and submit its final report within 12 weeks from the date of receiving the complete case diary.
With these directions, the High Court disposed of the petition.