TIRUCHY: The body of former Jeeyar of Sri Balahari Ramanuja Mutt, was denied entry into the mutt for his last rites and the ambulance with his body was left on the road on Wednesday here. The 85-year-old Lakshmana Ramanuja Jeeyar, a native of Kolkata, was living at Sri Balahari Ramanuja Jeeyar Mutt on Amma Mandapam Road near Srirangam in Tiruchy for more than 60 years. He left for Kolkata this January after he fell ill and passed away on May 6. His assistants brought the body to the Mutt here for performing last rites. However, the Srirangam police stopped the ambulance, that was carrying the body of the Jeeyar, stating that the mutt was under the custody of HR&CE and there was no permission to let his body inside for last rites.
Subsequently, the assistants placed the body along the roadside and demanded the police to allow them to perform the Jeeyar’s last rites inside the mutt. However, the police who denied permission directed them to the Commissioner of Police, who later, referred them to the Revenue Divisional Officer, who held talks with the agitating men.. Since there were no conclusion, the RDO asked them to contact the tahsildhar.
In 2010, the deceased Jeeyar disappeared from the mutt, leading to the take over of the mutt by the HR and CE department. However, a habeus corpus petition was filed by a devotee Govinda Ramanuja Das at the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court. The court directed the police to produce the Jeeyar before the court.
Following the High Court order, the police traced him at Kolkata and brought him to the court.
The Jeeyar said he went to Kolkata to undergo treatment for his illness and resumed his stay at the mutt.
However, the mutt continued to be under the control of the HR and CE.