Patna: Â The son of Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan head Ashutosh Maharaj, who has been declared clinically dead, Friday sought help of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to bring back his father’s body from Punjab to their native village in state’s Madhubani district for last rites.
Ashutosh Maharaj, Founder of Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan
“I met Nitish Kumar, who personally talked with his Punjab counterpart and asked state Home Secretary Amit Subhani to look into the official process to help me to bring body of my father to the village for last rites as per Hindu rituals,” Dilip Jha told media persons here after meeting Nitish Kumar.
Earlier, he along with relatives and villagers have come to Patna to meet Nitish Kumar to seek his help in the matter.
Doctors had declared Ashutosh Maharaj clinically dead but his followers claim he is in deep samadhi (trance).
Vinod Kumar Singh, a legislator of the state’s ruling Janata Dal-United, had Monday sought the intervention of the Punjab government for bringing back the body of Ashutosh Maharaj.
Jha, who was on indefinite fast last week for his purpose, ended his fast after senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi assured him to talk to Punjab chief minister in this connection.
“My father (Ashutosh Maharaj) is no more but some powerful disciples are trying to cover up something by claiming that he is in deep samadhi,” said Jha who runs a grocery shop in his native village.
He said that he was also hurt by DJJS’s claims that Ashutosh Maharaj had no family. “My father original name was Mahesh Jha and he was a graduate in English. He had left the family in 1973,” he said, adding his mother Anandi Devi, now 70, had said that he was only one year old when his father left the village for Delhi to pursue high education but did not return.
“I met my father in past and he recognized me. I am even ready to undergo a DNA test to prove claim,” said Jha.