Gopan Swami's face identifiable, mouth open, ashes found, says municipal councillor

Thiruvananthapuram: The body of Gopan Swami, the controversial spiritual figure buried under dubious circumstances in Neyyattinkara, was exhumed on Thursday morning. Prasanna Kumar, a municipal councillor who witnessed the exhumation, confirmed that the body was recognisable. 

Prasanna Kumar said that the police first measured the grave and removed the surrounding soil. The slab was then lifted in the presence of the RDO. He later described the face as identifiable and noted that the body was fully wrapped in cloth. There were ashes inside the grave, along with ritual offerings and a distinct smell of camphor. The councillor also noted that the deceased's mouth was open and there was discolouration around it. 

The exhumation began at 7.00 am in the presence of several officials, including the Sub-Collector. After the removal of the slab covering the tomb, the body was discovered sitting upright within the grave. The body was found with ashes and religious items filling up to the chest area. Following the retrieval, an inquest was carried out.

Since the body had not completely decomposed, authorities decided to conduct a post-mortem at the Medical College Hospital. The body was transferred to the hospital, and Gopan Swami’s son, was also escorted there by the police. The post-mortem is expected to be completed by noon.

The primary focus during the post-mortem will be to determine the cause of death. The police will primarily look into whether Gopan Swami had been poisoned or injured. If it is confirmed that neither of these is the cause of death, the family members may be excluded from the investigation. Given Gopan Swami’s health conditions, the police may conclude that one of these illnesses could have led to his death. Toxicological tests will also be conducted to ascertain if poisoning played a role in his death.

Once the police are informed about the suspicious death, they are required to notify the nearest Executive Magistrate immediately. The location of death must be examined, and the cause of death must be documented. A report should be sent to the District Magistrate or Sub-Divisional Magistrate within 24 hours. If necessary, the body should be sent for further examination, as per the law. In cases of suspicious deaths, including suicides and murders, the law mandates transparency, accountability, and timely handling of evidence and samples to ensure no delays in confirming the cause of death.

On the other hand, if it becomes clear that there is no mystery surrounding the death, no further action is likely. Once an individual passes away, the family has the right to decide how and where the body should be buried. Therefore, once any doubts regarding the death are resolved, the police will not take any special action regarding the burial. The process will conclude with official confirmation that the body belongs to Gopan Swami, including the collection of DNA samples, to prevent any future controversies.

Before transporting the body for post-mortem, the Sub-Collector and police officials spoke with Gopan Swamyi’s family. The Sub-Collector OV Alfred informed the media that the family had been briefed on the matter. After the post-mortem, the body will be handed over to the family.

Gopan Swami, also known as Maniyan, was buried in a concrete tomb on his property in Neyyattinkara. According to his family, the burial was in accordance with his wishes, as they believed he had attained samadhi. His son, Rajasenan, claimed that his father had walked to the burial site late at night, instructing the family to entomb him privately.