Chandigarh: Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday allowed the preservation of Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan (DJJS) head Ashutosh Maharaj’s body and quashed a Single Bench order which had ordered cremation of the body.
A single bench of the court in 2014 had given directions for the cremation of ‘clinically dead’ Ashutosh Maharaj. The Sansthan had challenged the judgement saying the godman was in ‘samadhi’ (deep meditation) and would come out one day.
The HC double bench also ordered frequent inspection of the body by a medical team of a Ludhiana-based hospital. Sansthan has been directed to deposit 50 Lakh rupees as costs of the body inspection.
The High Court rejected the petition filed by Ashutosh Maharaj’s alleged son Dilip Kumar Jha’s for DNA test. On the demand of DNA test, the High Court asked Dilip Kumar Jha to file a civil suit if he wishes.
However, in April, 2014, a Bihar’s Madhubani resident Dalip Jha, claimed to be a lone son of Ashutosh Maharaj, moved to the HC seeking release of the mortal remains of Ashutosh Maharaj for performing last rites and also a probe to ascertain the real cause of the suspicious death.
Jha suspected that Ashutosh Maharaj was poisoned so as to grab his Dera assets. While the Punjab government clarified before the HC that the spiritual leader had a natural death.
The controversy on cremation of Ashutosh Maharaj hit headlines in 2012 when a single bench of the HC on December 1, directed for the cremation within 15 days by a committee comprising judicial, civil and police officials from Jalandhar.
The single bench also rejected the plea of Dalip Jha in which he had sought DNA test observing that the appellant had failed to produce reliable evidence and documents in this regard.
Following the order, separate pleas were filed by DJJS, Jha and disciples of Ashutosh Maharaj challenging the single bench's order which was later on stayed by the division bench.
