Thread by @newslaundry

As Jaggi Vasudev or Sadhguru goes about expanding his empire, the Isha Foundation’s 150-acre campus has come up in blatant violation of laws and rules.

@tweets_prateekg examines government records and court cases filed against the foundation. #NLSena

newslaundry.com/2021/05/17/how…

Ikkarai Boluvampatti is where the Isha Foundation is headquartered on a sprawling 150-acre campus, including the Isha ashram, in blatant violation of laws and rules.

The campus is adjacent to the Bolampatty Reserve Forest, an elephant habitat.

Records obtained from the state departments of forest, town and country planning, and housing and urban development show that from 1994 to 2011, Isha constructed on 63,380 sq meters and created an artificial lake at Ikkarai Boluvampatti, without approval.

“Any construction requiring over 300 sq meters of land requires HACA’s permission. Isha undertook construction without permission over a large area,” a forest official who was privy to MS Parthipan’s inspection said on the condition of anonymity.

“After a month of issuing the notice I was transferred out...I don’t know whether they have taken the approval or not," says K Mookiah, who was deputy director, the town and country planning department, Coimbatore.

By 2012, Isha Foundation had constructed as many as 50 structures and was building 27 more, all illegally.

The foundation’s illegalities didn’t go unchallenged.

Read the full report by @tweets_prateekg: newslaundry.com/2021/05/17/how…

This story is part of the #NLSena project which over 150 of our readers contributed to.

It was made possible thanks to @saraswrites, @vishalR15251442, @swachar, @17vipin, @kimikaze10, @sumo_1973, @digambarnarkar, @kuziii16, @animeshuma, @vedanta_pawar, and other NL Sena members.