One of India's wealthiest spiritual leaders died of a heart attack in January, mourned by his wife and son.
However, according to his followers, "His Holiness Shri Ashutosh Maharaj ji has been in deep meditative state (Samadhi) since 29th January 2014."
They have placed him into a commercial freezer in order to keep his body well-preserved for when he wakes up, frustrating family members who wish to cremate him, reports The Telegraph.
Over £100,000,000 may be at stake-- the estimated value of the guru's property estate, which has hugely expanded since the Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan sect was founded in 1983.
Now a court will rule on whether he is dead, or simply meditating. His wife and son have filed a legal application demanding an investigation into the circumstances of his death, and for the release of his body. They say that DJJS followers are keeping the guru in order to retain financial control of his estate.
A follower told The Telegraph, "Maharaj has been in deep meditation. He has spent many years meditating in sub-zero temperatures in the Himalayas, there is nothing unusual in it. He will return to life as soon as he feels and we will ensure his body is preserved until then."
Though Punjabi Police initially confirmed the guru's death, local governmental officials called it "a spiritual matter," and said that followers couldn't be forced to accept his death.