Sadhguru Controversy 2026 Verified Facts
Sadhguru controversy 2026 has brought renewed attention to one of India’s most recognizable spiritual organizations. But to understand the present, you have to go back to the beginning.
In the early 1990s, a man with a flowing beard rode his motorcycle to the foothills of the Velliangiri Mountains near Coimbatore, found a quiet spot, and began teaching yoga to a small group of local residents. This is how the Isha Foundation began.
Over three decades later, that quiet beginning has grown into one of India’s most recognizable and most debated spiritual organizations. Sadhguru and Isha Foundation today operate across 300 centers worldwide, supported by 17 million volunteers.
The founder has received India’s second-highest civilian award, has addressed the United Nations, and has led environmental campaigns that reached over 4 billion people globally.
He has also faced Supreme Court proceedings, police investigations, and a defamation case before the Delhi High Court.
This article traces the journey of Sadhguru and Isha Foundation across both dimensions, the humanitarian work and the legal controversies, presenting only what is verified from confirmed sources.
Sadhguru & Isha Foundation – Key Controversies in 2025 & 2026
What Legal Controversies Has Isha Foundation Faced?
Between 2024 and 2026, Isha Foundation faced three distinct legal matters: a habeas corpus petition regarding two women monks living at the ashram, a police investigation into allegations of misconduct toward minors, and a separately confirmed pending POCSO case against a doctor affiliated with Isha Outreach.
National Herald India reports that in February 2024, YouTuber Shyam Meera Singh uploaded a video alleging sexual misconduct at the Isha Foundation. The video received 937,000 views and 13,000 comments by March 2025, when the Delhi High Court under Justice Subramonium Prasad ordered the video removed from YouTube, Google, X, and Meta, describing Singh’s claims as “false, reckless, baseless, and per se defamatory.”
A complaint filed by activist Piyush Manush triggered a Tamil Nadu Police investigation. On June 20, 2025, Coimbatore Police filed a closure report after interviewing 61 students, 13 staff members, and other witnesses, none of whom corroborated the allegations.
The cyber wing found the supposed leaked emails cited in the video lacked verifiable login activity and contained improbable content.
The Print reports separately on the habeas corpus petition filed by retired professor S. Kamaraj alleging his two daughters, aged 38 and 42, were held at the ashram against their will. The women appeared before the Supreme Court, denied the allegations, and confirmed they were living at the ashram voluntarily.
The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, closed the habeas corpus petition in view of their statements.
During those same proceedings, the Chief Justice noted a separate and distinct matter: a POCSO case against a doctor affiliated with Isha Outreach, charged with alleged molestation of 12 girls from a local Adivasi government school.
The Print confirmed this POCSO case is pending trial before a court in Coimbatore. This case is separate from all the above proceedings and has not been closed.
What Happened to Sadhguru’s Wife?
Vijayakumari Vasudev, known as Vijji, died on 23 January 1997 at the age of 34. Her father filed a police complaint some months later. Police investigated, the case was closed, and a court dismissed the complaint in January 1999. No charges were ever brought.
This question recurs constantly in online discussion, so the record is worth stating plainly.
Sadhguru and Isha Foundation describe her death as mahasamadhi, a yogic practice in which an accomplished practitioner consciously exits the body. Her cremation took place approximately twelve hours later.
Her father, Ganganna, filed a complaint at a Bangalore police station on 12 August 1997, roughly seven months after the death. The case was transferred to Coimbatore Police.
Police investigated. The case was closed and the complaint was dismissed by court order dated 8 January 1999.
Sadhguru was never arrested and never charged. He has stated publicly that no arrest or interrogation followed, and that if there had been substance to the allegations an arrest would have resulted.
What can be said honestly. No post-mortem was conducted before the cremation, which means no forensic evidence exists either way. The case was closed for lack of evidence.
That is different from a finding of innocence, and also different from a finding of guilt.
Accounts disputing the official version circulate on personal blogs and forums. We are not reproducing them, because a closed case from 1997 concerning a death is not a matter where unverified claims should be repeated.
What is the POCSO Case Against Isha Foundation?
It is not against Isha Foundation. It is against a doctor affiliated with Isha Outreach, charged with alleged molestation of 12 girls from a local Adivasi government school. The case is pending trial in Coimbatore.
This is the single most misreported matter in the Sadhguru controversy, and the distinction matters legally.
The case came to public attention during the Supreme Court habeas corpus proceedings in October 2024. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud noted it as a separate and distinct matter from the petition being heard.
Three things are frequently conflated and should not be.
The accused is an individual, not the organisation. The charge is against a doctor affiliated with Isha Outreach, the foundation’s rural healthcare arm. Isha Foundation is not the accused party.
It is unconnected to the habeas corpus petition. That case concerned two adult women and was closed. This one concerns alleged offences against minors at a government school and remains open.
It is unconnected to the YouTuber allegations. Those concerned Isha Home School, were investigated by Tamil Nadu Police, and resulted in a closure report in June 2025 after 61 students and 13 staff were interviewed with no corroboration.
The case has not been closed. It is pending trial before a court in Coimbatore. No verdict has been delivered.
We are stating this carefully because coverage frequently collapses three separate matters into a single claim, and because the outcome of a live trial is not something anyone should pre-judge.
Has Sadhguru Ever Been Convicted of a Crime?
No. No court has convicted Sadhguru of any offence. Two complaints have been investigated and closed, one video was ordered removed as defamatory, and one case involving a different individual remains pending.
The record is worth setting out in full, because the question is asked constantly and the answer is rarely given plainly.
The 1997 complaint regarding his wife’s death. Filed by her father in August 1997, investigated by Coimbatore Police, dismissed by court order in January 1999. Sadhguru was never arrested, never interrogated, and never charged.
The 2024 sexual misconduct allegations. Raised in a YouTube video, investigated by Tamil Nadu Police following a complaint by activist Piyush Manush. Coimbatore Police filed a closure report on 20 June 2025 after interviewing 61 students, 13 staff members and other witnesses, none of whom corroborated the allegations.
The cyber wing found the supposedly leaked emails cited in the video lacked verifiable login activity.
The Delhi High Court had already ordered the video removed in March 2025, describing the claims as false, reckless, baseless and per se defamatory.
The 2024 habeas corpus petition. Closed by the Supreme Court on 18 October 2024 after both women, then aged 39 and 42, confirmed they lived at the ashram voluntarily.
The POCSO case. Concerns a doctor affiliated with Isha Outreach, not Sadhguru. Pending trial.
What this does and does not mean. No conviction exists. That is a matter of record.
It does not mean every allegation was disproven. The 1997 case closed for lack of evidence, and no post-mortem had been conducted.
A closure for want of evidence is not the same as an exoneration, and we would say the same about anyone.
It also does not mean nothing is outstanding. One case remains before a court, though it concerns a different individual.
How Has Isha Foundation Addressed Defamation and AI Misuse
Between 2025 and 2026, the Delhi High Court provided two significant legal protections to Sadhguru and Isha Foundation: a defamation order against Tamil magazine Nakkheeran, and a personality rights order protecting against unauthorized AI-generated deepfake content.
Wikipedia’s article on Isha Foundation confirms that on March 19, 2026, the Delhi High Court directed Tamil magazine Nakkheeran to remove defamatory content against Isha Foundation and Sadhguru.
The court refused to dismiss the defamation suit at the initial stage, allowing the case to proceed. Separately, the Delhi High Court has protected Sadhguru’s personality rights against AI-generated deepfakes, ordering rogue websites to disable unauthorized content using his likeness to peddle misleading information.
Business Standard reports a further political controversy: in 2026, the RJD questioned the Bihar government’s decision to lease 15 acres of land in Munger to Isha Foundation for 99 years at Re 1 per acre, alleging the government had spent approximately Rs 2.64 crore to acquire the land. The foundation has not publicly responded in detail to this specific controversy.
Separately, in 2021, Sadhguru’s call to free the temples in Tamil Nadu drew political criticism from then-DMK minister Dr P. Thiaga Rajan, and his description of the Ram Mandir as a civilisational milestone drew responses from multiple political quarters.
What Happened with Isha Foundations Pilgrims in the August 2026 Kailash Flash Flood?
On 26 August 2026 a catastrophic flash flood struck the Gyirong Port area on the Tibet–Nepal border. Seventy-seven pilgrims travelling with Isha Foundation groups were caught in it while returning from Kailash Mansarovar.
This is the most recent event associated with the organization, and it is the reason search interest rose sharply at the end of August.
The flood tore through the Bhote Koshi river basin before sweeping into Nepal’s northern Rasuwa district, washing away bridges, roads and residential buildings.
The Isha group had completed the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage and had stopped at the Gyirong immigration office when the water struck.
Sadhguru posted on X that a terrible and tragic flash flood had taken place at Gyirong in Tibet, that one of their Kailash groups had been caught in it while on their way back, and that they were at the immigration office when the building and much of the town flooded.
The wider disaster was severe. The death toll passed 950 with hundreds more missing. At least 178 people from India were among the missing, most believed to have been on the pilgrimage, alongside citizens of the United States, Canada, Britain and Australia.
Stranded pilgrims began arriving back at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai on 29 August.
We are including this because search interest rose sharply afterward. We are also stating clearly that it is not a controversy.
A flash flood in the Himalaya is a natural disaster. No allegation of wrongdoing against Isha Foundation in connection with it has been established in any neutral reporting.
The Kailash Mansarovar yatra resumed at scale in 2026 after years of interruption, with thousands of Indians taking part through both government programmes and private operators. The route crosses altitudes above 4,500 metres with low oxygen levels.
Questions about pilgrimage safety at that scale are legitimate. They apply to the yatra as a whole and predate this event by decades.
How Did Sadhguru and Isha Foundation Begin?
Sadhguru Jagadish Vasudev founded the Isha Foundation in 1992 near Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, after teaching yoga since 1982. In 1994 he purchased land near the Velliangiri Mountains and inaugurated the Isha Yoga Center, which has since grown into a 150-acre campus.
According to Wikipedia’s article on Sadhguru, Vasudev began teaching yoga in 1982 and established the Isha Foundation in 1992 as a platform for his spiritual, environmental, and educational activities.
In 1994 he purchased land near the Velliangiri mountains in Coimbatore and inaugurated the Isha Yoga Center.
The foundation’s activities are run mostly by volunteers and the word Isha, according to Sadhguru, means “the formless divine.”
Isha Foundation’s centers page confirms that Isha is today supported by over 17 million volunteers worldwide across more than 300 centers.
The most prominent are the Isha Yoga Center in Coimbatore, the Sadhguru Sannidhi in Bengaluru, and international centers at the Isha Institute of Inner-sciences in Tennessee and the Isha Yoga Center in Los Angeles.
The ashram in Coimbatore sees a footfall of at least 7,000 at any given time. The foundation’s offerings include Inner Engineering, Shambhavi Mahamudra practice, Bhava Spandana, and Samyama, programs that Sadhguru describes as tools for raising human consciousness through classical yoga, meditation, and Indian classical arts.
What Humanitarian Work Has Sadhguru and Isha Foundation Done?
Isha Foundation’s humanitarian work spans environmental conservation, rural healthcare, and education, with programs collectively reaching over 7 million people in 4,600 villages, planting 134 million trees, and contributing to national river policy in India.
Times of India reports that in May 2025, the Canada India Foundation conferred on Sadhguru the Global Indian of the Year award, including a CAD 50,000 prize that he dedicated entirely to Cauvery Calling.
This followed his Padma Vibhushan in 2017 and the Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar in 2010 for environmental work.
Conscious Planet documents the Cauvery Calling campaign as the world’s largest farmer-driven ecological movement, aiming to support 5.2 million farmers to plant 2.42 billion trees in the Cauvery basin over 12 years.
As of the latest available data, 134 million living trees have been planted and 259,702 farmers have shifted to tree-based agriculture.
The initiative contributed to the Indian government allocating Rs 19,000 crore to revitalize 13 rivers in line with its draft policy recommendations.
Isha Foundation has UNCCD accreditation and observer status with the UN Environment Assembly.
What Are the Major Environmental Campaigns Isha Foundation Has Led?
The three major environmental campaigns are Rally for Rivers launched in 2017, Cauvery Calling launched in 2019, and Save Soil launched in 2022, together reaching hundreds of millions of people and influencing policy in over 190 countries.
According to Wikipedia’s article on Sadhguru, Rally for Rivers saw Sadhguru drive over 9,300 km through 16 states in 2017 to raise awareness about India’s depleting rivers, garnering support from 162 million people and being credited with framing India’s first national river revitalization policy.
In 2022, Sadhguru completed a 100-day motorcycle journey from London to India for the Save Soil campaign, which ultimately reached over 4.1 billion people and made draft policy recommendations available to 193 countries.
Isha Foundation’s official about page confirms that Project GreenHands aims to increase Tamil Nadu’s green cover by 10 percent through reforestation involving over 2 million volunteers.
Action for Rural Rejuvenation provides free medical care and community rehabilitation reaching more than 7 million people in 4,600 villages in Southern India.
Isha Vidhya runs nine schools benefiting 6,415 rural students, with 48 percent being girl students and over 5,500 students on full scholarship.
For more on how spiritual institutions are shaping wellness in India today, read our piece on spiritual practices trending in 2026.
What Awards and Recognition Has Sadhguru Received
Sadhguru has received the Padma Vibhushan in 2017, the Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar in 2010, the Global Indian of the Year award in 2025, and has authored two New York Times bestsellers, while Isha Foundation holds accreditation from the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.
Times of India confirms the Canada India Foundation presented Sadhguru with the Global Indian of the Year award in May 2025, noting it recognizes extraordinary contributions to global progress, human wellbeing, and the enduring values of Indian civilization.
He donated the CAD 50,000 prize to Cauvery Calling.
Wikipedia confirms the Padma Vibhushan was awarded in 2017 in recognition of his contribution to spirituality and humanitarian services.
He is the author of New York Times bestsellers Inner Engineering: A Yogi’s Guide to Joy and Karma: A Yogi’s Guide to Crafting Your Destiny, and is a frequent speaker at the World Economic Forum and United Nations.
He stood 40th in India Today’s list of fifty most powerful Indians in 2019.
For context on how spiritual leaders like Sadhguru are shaping the search for meaning among young Indians, read our Guru Purnima 2026 meditation guide.
Isha Foundation at a Glance
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Founder | Sadhguru Jagadish Vasudev |
| Year Founded | 1992 |
| Headquarters | Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu |
| Global Reach | 300+ centers, 17 million+ volunteers |
| Healthcare Impact | 7 million+ people in 4,600 villages |
| Environmental Impact | 134 million trees planted, 259,702 farmers supported, 4.1 billion people reached by Save Soil |
| Awards | Padma Vibhushan 2017, Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar 2010, Global Indian of the Year 2025 |
| UN Recognition | UNCCD accreditation, UNEA observer status |
| Legal Status | Police closure report filed June 2025 in YouTuber allegations case; separate POCSO case against affiliated doctor pending trial |
Key Takeaways on Sadhguru Controversies
- Sadhguru founded the Isha Foundation in 1992 near Coimbatore after teaching yoga since 1982. The organization today operates 300+ centers with 17 million volunteers globally. (Source: Wikipedia)
- Cauvery Calling has planted 134 million trees, supported 259,702 farmers, and contributed to Rs 19,000 crore being allocated for river revival by the Indian government. (Source: Conscious Planet)
- The Save Soil campaign reached over 4.1 billion people in a 100-day motorcycle journey from London to India in 2022, with policy recommendations submitted to 193 countries. (Source: Wikipedia)
- Tamil Nadu Police filed a closure report on June 20, 2025, finding no corroboration for the sexual misconduct allegations made in YouTuber Shyam Meera Singh’s video. The Delhi High Court had already described his claims as false, reckless, and per se defamatory. (Source: National Herald India)
- A separate POCSO case against a doctor affiliated with Isha Outreach is confirmed pending trial in a Coimbatore court. This case is distinct from the YouTuber allegations and has not been closed. (Source: The Print)
- Sadhguru received the Padma Vibhushan in 2017 and the Global Indian of the Year award in 2025, donated the CAD 50,000 prize to Cauvery Calling, and has authored two New York Times bestselling books. (Source: Times of India)
FAQs on Sadhguru controversy 2026
When did Sadhguru found the Isha Foundation?
Sadhguru Jagadish Vasudev founded the Isha Foundation in 1992 near Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, after teaching yoga since 1982. He inaugurated the Isha Yoga Center in 1994 after purchasing land near the Velliangiri Mountains. The foundation today operates 300+ centers worldwide supported by 17 million volunteers.
What is Cauvery Calling and what has it achieved?
Cauvery Calling is described as the world’s largest farmer-driven ecological movement, aiming to support 5.2 million farmers to plant 2.42 billion trees in the Cauvery basin over 12 years. As of the latest available data, 134 million living trees have been planted, 259,702 farmers have shifted to tree-based agriculture, and the initiative contributed to the Indian government allocating Rs 19,000 crore for river revitalization.
What happened with the sexual abuse allegations against Isha Foundation?
In February 2024, YouTuber Shyam Meera Singh uploaded a video making allegations about Isha Foundation. The Delhi High Court ordered the video removed in March 2025, describing the claims as false, reckless, and per se defamatory. Tamil Nadu Police filed a closure report on June 20, 2025, after interviewing 61 students and 13 staff, none of whom corroborated the allegations. A separate POCSO case against a doctor affiliated with Isha Outreach remains pending trial in a Coimbatore court.
What awards has Sadhguru received?
Sadhguru has received the Padma Vibhushan in 2017, India’s second-highest civilian award, the Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar in 2010 for environmental work, and the Global Indian of the Year award from the Canada India Foundation in 2025. He is also the author of two New York Times bestsellers and holds UNCCD accreditation for Isha Foundation.
What is the Save Soil campaign?
Save Soil is a global movement launched by Sadhguru in 2022 through a 100-day motorcycle journey from London to India. The campaign reached over 4.1 billion people and made draft policy recommendations available to 193 countries, contributing to soil conservation policy in the EU, USA, and Central Asia.
What happened to the Isha Foundation pilgrims in Nepal?
On 26 August 2026 a catastrophic flash flood struck the Gyirong Port area on the Tibet–Nepal border. Seventy-seven pilgrims travelling with Isha Foundation groups were caught in it while returning from Kailash Mansarovar, having stopped at the Gyirong immigration office. The wider disaster killed more than 950 people, with at least 178 Indians among the missing. No allegation of wrongdoing against Isha Foundation has been established in connection with it.
Why was Isha Foundation raided by police?
In September 2024 the Madras High Court, hearing a habeas corpus petition from a father alleging his two adult daughters were held at the Isha Yoga Centre, ordered a police inquiry. Around 150 officers visited the Thondamuthur ashram. Isha Foundation challenged the order. The Supreme Court stayed it, transferred the petition to itself, and closed proceedings on 18 October 2024 after both women, then aged 39 and 42, confirmed they lived there voluntarily.
What did the Delhi High Court rule about the Sadhguru EXPOSED video?
In March 2025 the Delhi High Court under Justice Subramonium Prasad ordered YouTuber Shyam Meera Singh’s video removed from YouTube, Google, X and Meta, describing the claims as false, reckless, baseless and per se defamatory. Tamil Nadu Police separately filed a closure report on 20 June 2025 after interviewing 61 students and 13 staff, none of whom corroborated the allegations.
Is Isha Foundation facing any open cases right now?
One confirmed. The POCSO case against a doctor affiliated with Isha Outreach is pending trial in Coimbatore. Tamil Nadu Police have also reported that of six missing person cases linked to the foundation over 15 years, five are closed and one remains under investigation. The Madras High Court ordered an inquiry into alleged construction violations in August 2023, which the foundation denies.
References
- Wikipedia. (2026). Sadhguru. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadhguru
- Isha Foundation. (2026). Isha Main Centers. https://isha.sadhguru.org/en/center
- Times of India. (2025, May 25). Sadhguru conferred with Global Indian of the Year award by Canada India Foundation. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/sadhguru-conferred-with-global-indian-of-the-year-award-by-canada-india-foundation/articleshow/121413510.cms
- Conscious Planet. (2026). Cauvery Calling. https://consciousplanet.org/en/cauvery-calling
- Isha Foundation. (2026). About Isha Foundation. https://isha.sadhguru.org/us/en/about-isha-foundation
- National Herald India. (2025, July 1). Police gives Isha Foundation clean chit in sexual abuse case. https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/national/police-gives-sadhgurus-isha-foundation-clean-chit-in-sexual-abuse-case
- The Print. (2024, October 4). Before SC relief to Sadhguru, here’s what TN police told court about the 2 sisters at centre of case. https://theprint.in/judiciary/before-sc-relief-to-sadhguru-heres-what-tn-police-told-court-about-the-2-sisters-at-centre-of-case/2318254/
- Wikipedia. (2026). Isha Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isha_Foundation
- Business Standard. (2024, October 3). Sadhguru’s Isha Foundation challenges Madras HC order in Supreme Court. https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/sadhguru-s-isha-foundation-challenges-madras-hc-order-in-supreme-court-124100300373_1.html
