The Kerala police said that the cause of Gopan Swami’s (72) death, which sparked controversy in the state, remains unclear after preliminary post-mortem. Gopan Swami was a retired headload worker whose body was exhumed on Thursday, January 16, after his family buried him under a concrete slab claiming he attained ‘samadhi’, a spiritual state of liberation.
The exhumation happened earlier in the day, near Neyyattinkara’s Aralumoodu, where Gopan and his family reside, and where he was buried. Speaking to the media, Neyyattinkara Inspector SB Praveen stated that the cause of death is yet to be determined. “Doctors said that it is not possible to confirm whether the death was natural or unnatural at this point. We are awaiting the histopathological, chemical, and forensic reports, which are crucial for concluding the investigation,” he said.
When Gopan’s burial site was opened on January 16, the body was found in a sitting position, covered with ash (bhasmam), incense, and aromatic substances. After the postmortem, the body has been kept in the mortuary, pending further legal and procedural steps, and will be handed over to the family soon.
The exhumation was carried out after the High Court declined to grant an interim stay on the District Collector's order which called for an investigation into Gopan’s disappearance.
The controversy began when Gopan was reported missing by neighbors on January 9. His family later claimed that he voluntarily passed away to achieve spiritual liberation, and his son said he buried him. After the death became a controversy, the Collector ordered for the body to be exhumed, but the family petitioned the High Court for a stay. Justice CS Dias quashed the petition and noted that the family had failed to register Gopan’s death or secure a death certificate, warranting police to investigate the case as one of suspicious death.
The family accused the police and authorities of harassing them. “It is sad that my father’s holy death has been reduced to this. His ‘Maha Samadhi’ will still be performed at the same spot in the presence of many pandits,” Gopan’s son Sanadhan said.
They had resisted the police’s attempt to exhume the body on January 13, stating that Gopan expressed his intentions to be buried so, days before his death. His wife, Sulochana said, “It was not a doctor but Lord Shiva who determined his death.”
A large police force and three forensic teams were present during the exhumation on January 16, with tight security to prevent potential clashes.