Ashutosh Maharaj is a godman both frozen in time, as well as in flesh and blood. He died on January 28, 2014. His followers say he is in a state of 'samadhi', and will rise again. So, they have kept his lifeless body in a deep freezer. Since then the issue has become "emotional and contentious", and right now coming to a boil.
Thirteen days ago, the Punjab & Haryana high court ordered that the godman's body be cremated within 15 days. The deadline will expire on Monday. But the cremation is in doubt as his followers have laid siege to his ashram in Nurmahal in Jalandhar district of Punjab. The state, fearing a law & order problem, has appealed to the court to extend the deadline. The hearing will take place on Monday.
Ashutosh Maharaj was the head of Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan (DJJS). His followers number lakhs, and many of them believed to be trained in arms. Those who call the shots in DJJS while the 'Maharaj' lies in the deep freezer have said that a 'Bhandara' will be held on Sunday. Already, the ashram is teeming with people, and more are pouring in. An estimated 70,000 plus are expected to take part in the event. Calls to DJJS spokesman Vishalanand went unanswered.
DJJS has also appealed to the court to extend the date to follow the court order though it refuses to accept that Ashutosh Maharaj is dead. "He is in a higher state of consciousness, a state that only gurus of the highest order can achieve. He is in deep samadhi," has been the chant of his followers ever since their guru died. And going with everything amazing with this case, Ashutosh Maharaj's body has been provided round-the-clock z-category security.
When the issue was taken to court, a single judge bench dispatched a team of doctors to examine Ashutosh Maharaj's body. The team returned with the verdict that the Maharaj was without doubt dead. That is when the order to cremate the body was given. But now everybody is holding the court to ransom, including a man named Dilip Jha, who says he is the long lost son of Ashutosh Maharaj.
Like DJJS. Jha is against cremation of the body. He wants the state to conduct a dna test be done so that is proved that he, indeed, is Ashutosh Maharaj's son. The dera has pointblank refused to handover the 'frozen baba's' body to Jha, ho too has filed an appeal in the high court.
Punjab Police is apprehensive that if provoked Sunday's Bhandara might turn violent, much like Rampal Maharaj's followers went on the rampage in Hisar last month. Several calls to DIG Vijay Kunwar Pratap Singh of Punjab to get a clarity on the current status went unanswered.
Everything now hangs on the court hearing on Monday. "It is very emotional and contentious issue," the state government had told the court on Thursday. The high court has in recent months has been quite firm in dealing with gurus and their followers. Ashutosh Maharaj's estate runs into crores of rupees. Monday will see if the case thaws, or sizzles.
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