Gopan Swami, a controversial spiritual figure, was hastily buried under suspicious circumstances by family members in Neyyattinkara earlier this week. The inquest report confirmed that the exhumed body showed no visible injuries or wounds indicating unnatural causes.
Published Jan 16, 2025 | 5:47 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 16, 2025 | 5:59 PM
The Kerala High Court had earlier directed the recovery of Gopan Swami’s remains from the controversial tomb in Neyyattinkara.
The Kerala Police announced on Thursday, 16 January, that their preliminary investigation into the death of Gopan Swami revealed no evidence of foul play. Swami, a controversial spiritual figure, was hastily buried under suspicious circumstances by family members in Neyyattinkara earlier this week.
The inquest report confirmed that the exhumed body showed no visible injuries or wounds indicating unnatural causes. However, the exact cause of death will be confirmed after the detailed post-mortem report is released.
Initial findings from the post-mortem conducted on Thursday afternoon are expected within hours. A full report, including chemical analysis of internal organ samples, will take about a week.
Doctors said three key tests must be carried out to determine the cause of death. Analysis of lung secretions will assess whether inhaled ashes at the burial site caused suffocation, potentially triggering a heart attack. Histopathology will examine darkened marks on the head, partially obscured by decomposition, to determine their nature.
Toxicology tests on internal organs will check for the presence of poisonous substances. The exact time and cause of death will only be confirmed once these test results are available.
Police conducted inquest procedures near the burial site before transporting the body to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital (MCH) for a post-mortem examination. They confirmed that witnesses have identified the body.
The site of Gopan Swami’s burial. (Supplied)
A DNA test will be conducted, and the internal organs will undergo chemical analysis.
Prasanna Kumar, a municipal councillor who observed the exhumation, said the police began by measuring the grave and clearing the surrounding soil. Under the supervision of the RDO, the concrete slab was removed.
Kumar noted that the body was wrapped in cloth and appeared recognisable. He described the presence of ashes, ritual offerings, and a distinct smell of camphor in the grave. He also observed that the deceased’s mouth was open and there was visible discolouration around it.
The Kerala High Court had earlier directed the recovery of Gopan Swami’s remains from the controversial tomb in Neyyattinkara. The exhumation, conducted early on Thursday morning, took place under tight police security.
Sub-Collector Alfred and senior officials arrived at the site around 7 a.m. to supervise the proceedings. The area was secured with restricted access, allowing only authorised personnel, including forensic experts, to be present. The Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) oversaw both the inquest and the post-mortem, conducted near the site under strict security.
On Wednesday, the had Court rejected a petition filed by Gopan Swami’s family seeking to stop the exhumation process. The Court emphasised the state’s need to determine the cause of death and questioned whether a death certificate for Gopan Swami existed. It ruled that the petition would proceed only if the death certificate was presented; otherwise, the case would be treated as an unnatural death.
The High Court further stressed the need for a thorough investigation in cases of missing persons and clarified that it cannot interfere in ongoing investigative procedures. The Court also raised questions about the circumstances of Swami’s death.
Tensions arose at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital as Gopan Swami’s family initially refused to accept the body after its exhumation, citing concerns about perceived violations of rituals during the process.
Leaders from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) intervened to mediate the situation and persuaded the family to take custody of the body. The body will be handed over to the family once formalities are completed.
Heavy police security was deployed at the hospital as Swami’s son, Sanandan, gathered with leaders and supporters from various right-wing Hindu nationalist organisations during the proceedings.
Speaking to the media, Sanandan acknowledged the support of Punchakkari Surendran, National Secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party OBC Morcha, Vishnupuram Chandrasekharan from the Vaikunda Swami Dharma Pracharana Sabha (VSDP), and the Hindu Aikya Vedi. He also stated that legal action would be taken against those who had hurt Hindu sentiments.
A VHP leader alleged that several individuals, including media outlets, had humiliated Gopan Swami’s family in recent days. He announced that the body would be buried on Friday, 17 January, with full respect and rituals, under the guidance of Hindu sanyasis, as a ‘Mahasamadhi’ between 3 PM and 4 PM.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
