The controversy surrounding the death and burial of 72-year-old Gopan Swami concluded with a grand religious ceremony on Friday, January 17th, in Aralumoodu, Kerala. His body, previously exhumed for a post-mortem after his family secretly buried him claiming he had attained 'samadhi,' was returned home in a procession.
Family members, along with Hindu organizations like the Hindu Aikya Vedi and Vaikunda Swami Dharma Pracharana Sabha, conducted the burial with elaborate rituals. A new shrine, 'Rushipeetham,' has been erected where his controversial memorial once stood in the family's courtyard.
The family had previously announced that the burial would be conducted in the presence of numerous monks. Speaking to reporters, family members and Hindu organizations alleged that the earlier controversies surrounding Gopan's burial were rooted in communal motives. They declared the Maha Samadhi a response to those who questioned their father's spiritual legacy.
The controversy began on January 9th when neighbors reported Gopan missing. Days later, his family revealed that he had "attained samadhi" and had been secretly buried under a concrete slab in a sitting position, covered with ash and incense. This clandestine burial attracted public and legal scrutiny as authorities discovered the family had neither registered Gopan's death nor obtained a death certificate.
On January 16th, the District Collector ordered an investigation, leading to the exhumation of Gopan's body. The High Court upheld the Collector's decision, citing procedural lapses by the family and directing the police to treat the case as a suspicious death.
Neyyattinkara Inspector SB Praveen, commenting on the post-mortem findings, stated, "The cause of death remains unclear. We are awaiting histopathological, chemical, and forensic reports to determine whether the death was natural."