Thiruvananthapuram: The body of Gopan Swami from Neyyattinkara was handed over to his family after the post-mortem examination. The body, currently preserved at a private hospital mortuary in Neyyattinkara, will be laid to rest on Friday. According to his family, Gopan Swami’s final rites will be conducted with elaborate ceremonies, honouring him with a grand “Maha Samadhi’.

On Thursday morning, the police exhumed the grave where Gopan Swami had been interred. The family had claimed he had been placed in ‘Samadhi’. In the presence of the Sub-Collector and other officials, the slab covering the grave was removed at around 7 am, revealing Gopan Swami’s body in a seated position.

The body was subsequently taken to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital for a post-mortem, which was completed by noon. According to the police’s initial findings, there were no signs of unnatural death. The body showed no visible injuries or wounds. Further clarity will only emerge after the detailed post-mortem report is available. Samples of internal organs have been collected for chemical analysis, and the results are expected within a week.

Authorities had decided to release the body to the family immediately after the post-mortem. Initially, the family had refused to accept it. However, after discussions with the police and district administration, they agreed to take custody of the body.

The body will be taken to the family’s residence from the private hospital mortuary on Friday morning. The family has decided to inter Gopan Swami’s body in the same grave where he was previously placed in ‘Samadhi’.

The family has alleged that they were subjected to harassment and is reportedly considering legal action in response.