Unraveling the Mystery: The Untimely Death of Vijaykumari, Sadhguru's Wife, and the Subsequent Investigation

The sudden death of Vijaykumari on January 23, 1997, at the age of 33, ignited a significant controversy, leading to a murder investigation against her husband, Jagadish Vasudev, widely known as Sadhguru. Vijaykumari, a respected yogi, banker, and mother, was a pivotal figure in the early days of the Isha Foundation, making her passing and the subsequent legal proceedings a point of enduring public interest, even for followers of Sadhguru's teachings across Africa and globally.

Known affectionately as Vijji, Vijaykumari reportedly attained a state of Mahasamadhi — a yogic practice where an individual consciously departs their body after achieving spiritual realization — during a public meditation gathering on the auspicious day of Thaipusam. Eyewitness accounts suggest she was in a deep meditative state when she passed. However, questions arose seven months later when her father filed a First Information Report at the Coimbatore Police Station, accusing Sadhguru of murder, primarily citing the swift cremation of her remains just 12 hours after her death, at 6:00 am.

The police launched an eight-month investigation into the allegations, questioning Sadhguru about the circumstances. A doctor who examined Vijaykumari prior to her cremation attributed the cause of death to a heart attack, ruling out homicide, suicide, and poisoning, although no autopsy was performed. Further forensic tests on collected ashes and bones found no traces of poisoning. Despite the ongoing investigation, the police could not secure a conviction, and the case was eventually dismissed by the court on January 8, 1999, citing a lack of evidence.

Prior to this tragic event, Vijaykumari had led a life dedicated to spirituality and service. Born on June 3, 1963, she met Sadhguru in Mysore in the early 1980s, leading to a spiritual commitment on Mahashivratri in 1984, followed by their official wedding on May 20, 1985. A commerce graduate, she initially worked as a clerk at the State Bank of India before becoming a yoga teacher, first with Rishi Prabhakar’s SSY and later with the Isha Foundation, which Sadhguru founded in 1992. She was instrumental in supporting his early work and the establishment of the Isha Yoga Centre in 1994.

Vijaykumari and Sadhguru had one child, Radhe Jaggi, born in 1990. Vijaykumari passed away when Radhe was seven years old. Today, Radhe has become an accomplished Indian classical dancer, yoga teacher, and social media influencer, carrying forward a legacy rooted in the spiritual path her parents embraced. The global reach of the Isha Foundation, which expanded its programs to the United States as early as 1997 and continues to attract followers worldwide, including from Kenya and other East African nations, ensures that the story of its co-founder remains relevant to a broad audience interested in spiritual movements and their leaders.

The life and untimely death of Vijaykumari underscore the complexities that can arise within spiritual communities, particularly when personal tragedy meets public scrutiny. Her journey from a banker to a dedicated yogi, mother, and pillar of a burgeoning spiritual movement, alongside the legal battle surrounding her passing, forms a significant chapter in the history of Sadhguru and the Isha Foundation. This report draws on information originally compiled by TUKO.