HC notice to Punjab govt on security cover for

Acting on a petition seeking withdrawal of the Z category security cover of "clinically dead" self-styled godman Ashutosh Maharaj, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued a notice to the state government and other respondents.
In the petition filed before a division bench of acting Chief Justice Ashutosh Mohunta and Justice Harinder Singh Sidhu, petitioner Dilbagh Singh contented that Ashutosh Maharaj, head of Divya Jyoti Jagrity Sansthan, Nurmahal, died more than seven months back and was declared clinically dead in January 2014.
But the 'Z' category security provided to him was continuing till date, Singh said. His counsel prayed that Punjab government be directed to withdraw the security cover.

The bench has asked Punjab government to send its reply by September 11.
On a separate petition, Justice K Kannan of the High Court had yesterday criticised Punjab government for its inability to end the impasse over keeping Ashutosh Maharaj's body in a freezer by his followers on the pretext that the spiritual guru was in deep meditation.
As a petition filed by his "son" Dalip Kumar Jha for handing over his father's body for performing the last rites came up a day ago, Justice Kannan made it clear that the body could not be left without cremation and the government should not be sitting over the matter.

Justice Kannan had also fixed September 2 as the next date of hearing when the Sangsthan will make clear its stand on the issue.