Gopan Swami's death: Post-mortem report confirms minor injuries; cause of death yet to be known

Thiruvananthapuram: The post-mortem report reveals that Gopan Swami, who claimed to have entered ‘samadhi’ in Neyyattinkara, sustained injuries on his face, nose, and head. The injury on the back of the right side of his head is a contusion, while more contusions are present on both sides of his face and on nose. The report confirms that these injuries occurred before death.

However, the report clarifies that there were no deep wounds on the body and does not indicate that the body’s injuries or contusions caused death. The cause of death can only be confirmed after the results of the chemical examination, as stated in the report.

The post-mortem was conducted by Dr. A. Shalini, Assistant Professor, and Dr T.M. Manoj from the Forensic Medicine Department of the Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram. The process began at 9:35 AM on January 16 and concluded at 1:10 PM, according to the report.

The body was covered with ash and camphor. When it was removed from the raised platform (mandapa), the body had already begun to decompose, and the face had become distorted. The body was dressed in saffron clothing, and a dried jasmine garland and rudraksha beads were found around the neck. The report also mentions that a black thread was wound around the right hand.