Kerala Police exhumed the body of a 78-year-old man, Gopan Swami, from a concrete chamber in Neyyattinkara, Thiruvananthapuram, on Thursday following his mysterious disappearance. The family had earlier claimed that he had attained “samadhi.” The body was found seated and surrounded by sacred ash and ritual objects. The exhumation was carried out with the district administration’s approval after the Kerala High Court rejected the family’s plea to halt the process. It was then transported to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital for postmortem.
The exhumation took place under heavy police security, following prior protests by the family and locals. Sub-Collector Alfred OV authorized the opening of the chamber after discussions with the family, who did not resist the police action. Earlier attempts to access the burial site were thwarted due to objections, but the court ruled that there should be no interference in investigating Gopan Swami’s disappearance. The police moved forward based on these directions, deeming the investigation necessary.
Gopan Swami, a former headload worker who adopted sainthood, had built an ashram and temple on his property. His family claimed that he voluntarily entered the burial chamber on the night of January 9, asking for a private burial to mark his attainment of “samadhi.” Posters around the area announcing his “samadhi” brought attention to the case. However, law enforcement agencies, suspecting foul play, proceeded with the investigation to ensure transparency and compliance with legal protocols.