SC relief for Isha yoga centre on Tamil Nadu government's notice

NEW DELHI: Supreme Court on Friday protected Sadhguru-led Isha Foundation's yoga and meditation centre at Coimbatore from Tamil Nadu government's ire by quashing a show cause notice issued to it by state pollution control board alleging constructions carried out between 2006-2014 without prior environment clearance.

While upholding the Madras HC's 2022 decision to quash the show cause notice against Isha Foundation, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and N K Singh said, "As we approve the decision of HC, no coercive action will be taken by TNPCB against Isha Foundation for constructions carried out in the past to set up the yoga and meditation centre at Coimbatore."

Advocate general P S Raman and additional advocate general Amit Anand Tiwari said that the yoga and meditation centre abuts a wildlife sanctuary and such judicial protection should not become a "gate-pass" for the foundation or others to undertake constructions in the area without prior environmental clearances.

The bench agreed and ordered that its order would not be a precedent for others to carry out any construction in the area without necessary clearances from concerned authorities and TNPCB.

Isha Foundation, through advocate Mukul Rohatgi, gave an undertaking to the court that all necessary prior clearances for every future construction inside the yoga and meditation centre would be taken from the authorities and that the foundation would comply with concerned rules and regulations.

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