Neyyattinkara samadhi case: exhumation of man's body halted after protest
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The exhumation of the body of 69-year-old Gopan Swami, a resident of Neyyattinkara, was stopped on Monday after his family strongly opposed the police’s actions. His family is claiming he attained samadhi.
The family, including Gopan’s wife and son, blocked the authorities’ efforts to exhume the body from the tomb, leading the Sub-Collector to decide to consult the family before proceeding further.
Gopan Swami, who had been bedridden due to illness, passed away under suspicious circumstances on Thursday. His family, however, posted a sign on the same day declaring that he had attained 'samadhi,' a form of spiritual entombment. This claim led to the police being instructed by District Collector Anu Kumari to exhume the body for forensic examination at the Medical College, which would help determine the cause of death.
The authorities planned to exhume the body under the supervision of the RDO and transport it to the medical college for post-mortem. If the body showed signs of advanced decomposition, the post-mortem would be carried out at a nearby location. However, Gopan’s family, led by his wife, Sulochana, and son, Rajasenan, physically lay down in front of the tomb to block the process, citing their religious and cultural practices.
Initially, Rajasenan, a priest at the family temple, claimed that Gopan had wished to be interred in this manner after his death. The family contended that the burial, which took place at the family’s Shiva temple site, was carried out in accordance with his final wishes. According to the police, Gopan was a dedicated follower of Lord Shiva, having built the family temple years ago and regularly performing rituals there. The samadhi site, located near the temple, was reportedly constructed by Gopan years before his passing.
In Hinduism, Sikhism, and Sufism, a samadhi is a spiritual tomb or memorial for someone who is believed to have attained enlightenment or mahasamadhi at the time of death. The family insists that Gopan had instructed them not to allow anyone else to view his body after his death and to inter him in the samadhi.
The situation remains unresolved, with the Sub-Collector set to meet the family to address their concerns before any further actions are taken.