Dead or alive: Mystery revolves around spiritual leader Ashutosh Maharaj

05 February, 2014

Mystery and confusion surrounds the spiritual leader Ashutosh Maharaj, the spiritual head of Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan (DJJS) as the disciples of the godman are not accepting the death of their leader. Even the government also has declared that, 'spiritual leader Maharaj is clinically dead'. However, the disciples still believes that Maharaj is in the state of 'Samadhi' (deep state of meditation) which is part of their religious beliefs.

The officials of the Dera Samaj have said that they have shifted the body of Maharaj to the freezer, as they believe the saints go to Himalayan mountain where there is freezing temperature to attain the samadhi, so they are providing him the same environment to sustain him in the samadhi.

But on the other side,Dr Harpal, a Chandigarh-based physician has examined Ashutosh Maharaj since he slipped into 'a deep transcendental meditation', and confirmed that, Maharaj is clinically dead as reported by media. This was also declared by a team of Doctors from Satgur Partap Singh Apollo Hospital, Ludhiana after conducting several tests on heartbeat, or pulse, and even the ECG showed a straight line.

Dr. Harpal also claimed that when he examined the body of Ashutosh Maharj he noticed changes in the body next day, like the blackening of skin, but still there was no foul smell coming out from the body.

Disciples are saying that “he is clinically dead, but is spiritually alive”. On Tuesday evening senior police officers had gone inside the headquarters of DJJS at Nurmahal, a day after Punjab and Haryana high court sought status report from Punjab government on a habeas corpus petition about its founder Ashutosh Maharaj's health.

They came out after spending a couple of hours without seeing the body of DJJS founder. The police said that they won't interfere in this matter as it is a religious thing.