K'taka High Court dismisses PIL against Isha Yoga Centre

Bengaluru, Feb 9 The Karnataka High Court on Thursday dismissed a petition filed against the Isha Yoga Centre at Chikkaballapura seeking a stall on the construction work, claiming it was destroying the ecology of Nandi Hills.

The counsel for Isha contended that Sadhguru Sannidhi is 31 km away from Nandi Hills, and it had bought the land after paying proper consideration and obtaining due permission to get it converted for educational purposes.

The counsel also clarified that it had not received any grant or land from the government, and it was compliant with the law.

During the hearing, the counsel for Isha pointed out that petitioners had not disclosed their antecedents and the filing of criminal cases against them and that it amounted to violation of various Supreme Court judgments as well as the PIL rules framed by the High Court of Karnataka.

Pulling up the petitioner, the court said: "We are only expecting that if a petitioner is approaching the court and submitting and saying that he is espousing a public cause, he should approach the court with clean hands. That is the minimum expectation."

Chief Justice Prasanna Varale observed that the petitioner had talked about Mahatma Gandhi but he failed to follow the principles laid down by the latter.