Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan (DJJS) on Tuesday challenged the Punjab and Haryana High Court directions, issued on December 1, to cremate the “frozen godman”, DJJS head Ashutosh Maharaj, within 15 days’ time — just eight days before the expiry of deadline.
Justice MMS Bedi, in his detailed order in the matter on December 1, has constituted a five-member committee for the purpose of cremating the body of Ashutosh Maharaj “within 15 days of receiving the order’s copy by a committee”.
As the Committee has been claiming that the copy of the order has been received on December 3, the 15-day deadline would end on December 17.
It has been learnt that the DJJS has filed an appeal against Single Bench’s order in the High Court Registry on Tuesday morning. However, the Registry has raised certain technical objections in the same — leading to a delay in placing the matter before the Division Bench. Now, the appeal against the Single Bench orders, dated December 1, would be heard only after the removal of objections by the appellants.
Already, Dalip Jha, who claimed to be Ashutosh Maharaj’s son, has challenged the Single Bench’s order which stated that he was not having locus standi or the right to be heard in court for claiming the “right for possession of the property in the body”.
Jha, in his appeal, has maintained that his application for DNA test to establish paternity was “wrongly decided”, and the stamps, dating back to 1999, on the registered letters purportedly written by Ashutosh Maharaj to them proved that the mails were not forged.
Justice Bedi is already hearing an appeal by the DJJS for putting in abeyance the 15-day deadline. The matter is slated for next hearing on December 12.