HE'S NOT DEAD, HE'S MEDITATING IN THE FREEZER......

He's not dead, he's meditating in the freezer: Body of Indian guru put in deep freeze SIX weeks ago - and followers are convinced he'll wake up

• Ashutosh Maharaj's body was put in a freezer in January
• The Indian spiritual leader reportedly suffered a fatal heart attack 
• Devoted believers insist he is meditating and is sending them messages
• Court has ruled he is dead after man accused group of deception 
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Ashutosh Maharaj, seen here on a billboard in Punjab, has been in deep freeze for six weeks

An Indian guru declared dead six weeks ago has been put into a deep freezer by his followers - who are convinced he will come back to life.

Ashutosh Maharaj, the leader of the Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan (Divine Light Awakening Mission), is in a state of samadhi - the deepest form of meditation, according to his believers, and is sending them messages.

Mission spokesman Swami Vishalanand said followers were now waiting for him to end his meditation and expect him to step out of the freezer in the town of Nurmahal, in the state of Punjab, northern India. Until then they would perform their own meditation and spiritual sessions.

'Mahara-ji (a Hindi term of respect) is still sending messages through followers in their meditative stage to protect his body until he returns,' Mr Vishalanand said.

The decision to place Maharaj in a freezer was challenged in court by a man claiming to be his former driver, who alleged several followers were not releasing the body because they wanted a share of the guru's properties.

But the court rejected the man's claim after receiving information from authorities confirming his death, reportedly from a heart attack.

 

'The court rejected his pleas after the Punjab government said that the man is clinically dead and that it is up to his followers to decide what they want to do with the body,' Reeta Kohli, additional advocate general of Punjab state, said.

Senior district police officer Gurinder Singh Dhillon said police 'cannot interfere' now that the court has made its ruling.

Locals outside the ashram in Nurmahal, where Maharaj has been 'meditating' since January

Maharaj's website, which says the mission was founded in 1983 and has spiritual centres around the world, has thanked its followers for standing by the mission while the guru is 'meditating'.

Mr Vishalanand said scores of spiritual leaders throughout history have traveled to the Himalayas for months of samadhi in freezing temperatures - before returning to life.

Another spokesman, who heads a nearby village where many of Maharaj's followers are living, said: 'When we close our eyes, we can talk to the Maharaj, who has assured us he will come back.'

Spiritual leaders have reportedly survived in the Himalayas for months, despite freezer-like temperatures

Followers outside the gates to the ashram in Punjab, northern India. The Divine Light Awakening Mission claims to have millions of believers around the world