Chandigarh: The ashram of Ashutosh Maharaj, who was declared clinically dead on January 29, on Thursday moved Punjab and Haryana high court seeking a 30-day extension on the deadline given by it to perform the last rites of self-styled godman, so that it could challenge the verdict.
Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan moved a petition in the high court on Thursday saying they want a month’s time to challenge the single judge bench order, which had directed on December 1 to conduct the last rites of the godman within 15 days, before a division bench.
The application will come up for hearing on Friday. On December 1, the court had directed to constitute a committee under the district magistrate to look into the matter and asked DGP and chief secretary to monitor the situation.
The court had also observed that religious sentiments of the followers should not be hurt.
On January 29, ashram doctors had declared Ashutosh alias Mahesh Kumar Jha clinically dead, after which the management had kept the body inside a deep freezer, stating that the spiritual head had gone into ‘samadhi’ (deep state of meditation).
One of the petitioners, Dalip Kumar Jha, had moved the high court in April, seeking the release of mortal remains of “his father” to him for performing last rites and also a probe to ascertain the cause of his “mysterious death”.
Another petitioner, Puran Singh, claiming himself to be the spiritual head’s former driver, had also approached the court, seeking a CBI probe into the “suspicious” death.
‘Godman is meditating’
Ashutosh Maharaj’s followers , however, claim that the guru is not dead but meditating, and hundreds have arrived at the dera of Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan (DJJS) since the Punjab and Haryana High Court issued the order on Monday.
Later, over 600 followers reached the dera, where Ashutosh Maharaj’s body has been lying in a freezer from the last 306 days.
The locals fear that Nurmahal could witness a repeat of the Barwala clash, which involved the followers of self-proclaimed godman Rampal and the police, barely a fortnight ago in neighbouring Haryana, media reports.
