The Delhi High Court has directed Tamil magazine Nakkheeran to remove alleged defamatory content against Isha Foundation, granting interim relief and rejecting the publication’s plea to dismiss the suit.
The interim order was passed on Thursday by Justice Subramonium Prasad.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has directed Tamil magazine Nakkheeran to remove content alleged to be defamatory against the Isha Foundation. The interim order was passed on Thursday by Justice Subramonium Prasad.
The court issued the direction while hearing a defamation suit filed by the Isha Foundation, which has sought damages of ₹3 crore from Nakkheeran and its editor. The Foundation alleged that the publication carried reports making serious claims of misconduct, including exploitation and coercion.
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The court also rejected an application filed by Nakkheeran under Order 7 Rule 11 of the Code of Civil Procedure, which sought dismissal of the suit at the preliminary stage.
According to the Foundation, the articles suggested that individuals at its yoga centre were being held against their will or subjected to undue influence. It argued that such claims were published despite earlier judicial findings addressing similar allegations.
The Foundation has also made Google LLC a party to the case, citing the appearance of the content in search results and on its video platform, YouTube.
The dispute is linked to earlier proceedings involving allegations that two adult women were being “brainwashed” at the Isha Yoga Centre. The matter had reached the Supreme Court of India, which noted that both individuals were adults and had chosen to reside at the centre of their own free will. The habeas corpus plea was subsequently closed.
However, the court clarified at the time that its order would not prevent authorities from pursuing any other investigations, if required.
Following the Supreme Court proceedings, the Isha Foundation approached the Delhi High Court seeking removal of the content and damages. The High Court has now granted interim protection and issued notice in the matter.
The case will proceed further as the court examines the allegations and responses from all parties involved.
