Supreme Court news: More than a decade after disputes erupted within an organisation founded by the late spiritual leader Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the Supreme Court has ordered an SIT probe into the alleged illegal sale of vast tracts of land belonging to the Spiritual Regeneration Movement Foundation of India across multiple states.

A bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and Atul S Chandurkar was hearing an appeal filed by the complainant, one Shrikant Ojha, against an interim order passed by the Allahabad High Court in February in a criminal writ petition connected to a First Information Report (FIR) registered in 2025 at Noida’s Sector 39 Police Station.

“Considering the fact that various FIR have been registered and the land belonging to society has been sold without the permission of the society frustrating the object and purpose of society, we feel it appropriate…to appoint an SIT for unimpaired and unobstructed investigation and to save the land of society from the clutches of those who are acting contrary to the object and purpose of society for their own benefit,” the Supreme Court said on May 12.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was known for developing Transcendental Meditation, a practice famously followed by members of the English rock band Beatles, among others.

Earlier, the high court had permitted the investigation to continue but restrained the police from filing a chargesheet under Section 193(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

“It is a matter of concern to this Court in particular when a number of criminal cases on account of selling of the property of the society have been registered at various jurisdictions in different States,” the court stated, adding that despite ongoing civil and criminal litigation, society properties were allegedly continuing to be sold by rival groups.

According to the prosecution, one G Ram Chandramohan allegedly sold society land situated in Devri and Khamaria villages in Chhattisgarh through unauthorised transactions, leading to complaints before the Registrar of Societies as early as 2011. A civil suit challenging those sale deeds remains pending, while criminal proceedings were initiated in Bilaspur.

The society had also approached the Delhi High Court in 2011 seeking restraint orders against alleged unauthorised office-bearers. The high court had directed the parties to maintain the status quo over the title and possession of society properties and restrained the creation of third-party interests without the court’s permission.

The Supreme Court also referred to its earlier judgment in Pratibha Manchanda v State of Haryana, where it had highlighted the growing problem of organised land scams involving forged titles and fabricated sale deeds.

Before concluding the judgment, the top court made pointed observations about the internal conflict within the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi-founded organisation.

“It was not intended by him that the friction within groups shall lead to fights and the property, which was quite valuable, shall be sold for their own interest contrary to the purpose and object,” it observed.

The Supreme Court clarified that it was not expressing any final opinion on the merits of the allegations since the appeal arose from an interim order of the high court.

The appeal was disposed of with directions for the constitution of the SIT and continuation of the investigation.