Ashutosh’s dera moves HC against cremation About a week before the expiry of deadline set by the Punjab and Haryana High Court for ending the controversy shrouding the frozen “god man”, Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan today filed an appeal in the matter. They have thrown a challenge, among other things, to the High Court directions on cremating sect head Ashutosh within 15 days of receiving the order’s copy. Available information suggests the appeal was filed in the Registry this morning. But it may take a while before it is heard by the High Court, as certain objections, mostly technical in nature, have been raised by the Registry. The appeal against the Single Bench orders will be heard by a Division Bench only after the appellants remove the objections. The sansthan had earlier also moved the High Court for an extension in the 15-day deadline for enabling it to prepare its appeal. But the hearing on the plea was simply adjourned by the High Court. It was expected to come up for hearing on December 12, but leaving nothing to chance the ‘dera’ acted swiftly and filed the appeal. As of now, there is no stay in the matter; and in the absence of stay orders by the High Court, there is nothing to stop a committee appointed for the purpose of cremation from going ahead with the process. This is the second appeal to be filed in the matter. Ashutosh’s “son” Dalip Kumar Jha has also challenged the order stating 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 has claimed that his application for DNA test to establish paternity was wrongly decided. Moreover, stamps dating back to 1999 on registered letters purportedly written by Ashutosh to them proved that the mails were not forged. Justice MMS Bedi, in his December 1 verdict, had directed that the body would be cremated within 15 days of receiving the order’s copy by a committee, comprising Jalandhar District Magistrate, Senior Superintendent of Police, Municipal Corporation Commissioner, Chief Medical Officer and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate concerned. The orders were received on December 3.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Dec 2014 01:55:14 +0000