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Over 18 months on, ‘clinically dead’ Ashutosh still in freezer

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Ashutosh
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Deepkamal Kaur

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Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 20

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Even after over 18 months since Ashutosh, head of Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan Nurmahal, was declared “clinically dead”, the dera functionaries continue to preserve his body in a freezer. They claimed that he had been in a ‘samadhi’ and would return some day.

The appeal by the dera against the December 1 order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on performing his last rites is still pending. The next date of hearing on the matter is on September 29.

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The dera functionaries have been continuing with their claim for over 18 months, announcing that Ashutosh will be back. The dera had spent lakh of rupees to preserve the body, reportedly lying in a glass box in a room.

Vishalanand, chief spokesperson for the dera, said there had been no change in his body, though officials from the administration, who had seen it twice in February 2014 (ahead of furnishing an affidavit in the court) and December 2014 (after orders of performing of last rites by the HC) claim it otherwise.

Ashutosh had been declared dead by a team of doctors from SPS Apollo Hospital, Ludhiana, on January 29 last year. The court in its December 1, 2014 orders formed a five-member team of the administration under the DC Jalandhar and directed it to ensure that the last rites are performed within 15 days but the dera had filed an appeal against it after which the previous orders got stayed. Since then, the police have been maintaining their monthly and quarterly reports over the situation.

The unending saga

  • January 29, 2014: Reports came that controversial godman Ashutosh has died
  • January 30: The dera claimed that Ashutosh had taken a "samadhi"
  • January 31: It claimed the godman's body stable; work to set up helipad at Litran started
  • February 3: It admitted that Ashutosh's body has been kept in a freezer (portable mortuary) but kept maintaining that he was still in a "samadhi". The HC directs Punjab to submit a report by February 5
  • February 4: Police and administrative officials managed to see the body
  • February 5: Punjab Police submitted a report in the HC declaring him “clinically dead”
  • February 7: Bihar residents claiming to be family members of Ashutosh demanded that they should be allowed to perform his last rites
  • February 10: Ashutosh’s “ex-driver” Puran Singh moved the HC again, seeking Ashutosh’s examination by PGI doctors or any other reputed government institution
  • April 4: Punjab Police ruled out before the HC the possibility of his unnatural death
  • May 18: Dalip Jha, claiming to be the son of Ashutosh, demanded a probe alleging that his father has been murdered by some of the Dera representatives
  • October 29: After hearing the case, the HC reserved judgment
  • December 1: The HC directed the Punjab Government to conduct the last rites of Ashutosh in 15 days
  • December 2: Dera functionaries showed resistance to the police, media at entry points
  • December 10: The dera released toll-free number to seek support for Ashutosh 
  • December 13: A five-member team under the DC visited dera, held talks
  • December 14: A large congregation held; the police video recorded event
  • December 15: The High Court stayed the December 1 orders on performing Ashutosh’s last rites
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