Kerala High Court declines to stay exhumation of 'self-styled spiritual guru'

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday declined to stay the exhumation of Gopan Swami, a 69-year-old "self styled spiritual guru" from Neyyattinkara in Thiruvananthapuram district, whose family claimed he had attained 'Samadhi'.

The court was not convinced by the claims from Gopan Swami's family regarding his Samadhi. It inquired about the circumstances of Gopan's death and whether the family had obtained his death certificate.

The court observed that under Section 194 of the BNS, the police are authorized to investigate when a death occurs under suspicious circumstances, suggesting reasonable suspicion of homicide.

The petitioner, Sulochana, wife of Gopan Swami, approached the High Court seeking to quash the district administration's order to demolish her husband's tomb. The family accused the administration and police of disrespecting their faith and requested the court to allow them to perform a 41-day puja at the site without any interruptions.

The case has been scheduled for next week. Since the High Court has not issued any interim order to restrain the previous decision of the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) to demolish the concrete enclosure, the police and district administration are permitted to proceed with the demolition.

While the family expressed their respect for the court's verdict, Gopan Swami's son maintained that his father did not die a natural death but instead attained Samadhi.

Gopan Swami, also known as Manian, died under suspicious circumstances. On January 9, his family posted a notice on the concrete enclosure near their home, claiming that he had attained "samadhi," which raised suspicion among local residents.

Gopan's son, Rajasenan, informed the police that his father was taken to the samadhi site around 10:30 a.m. on January 9 and was seated in a meditative posture. Rituals were conducted according to his instructions until 3:30 a.m. on January 10, at which point a concrete slab was placed over the enclosure.

Local residents who learned about the Samadhi through posters do not believe the family's account. They claim that Gopan was bedridden and suffered from severe vision problems. Additionally, no one has reported seeing any rituals performed near the Samadhi site. A missing person's case was filed at the Neyyantinkara police station following a complaint from a local individual.

Some individuals attempted to communalize the issue by alleging that a group of Muslims opposed the Samadhi and the local temple. The locals accused organizations like Hindu Aikya Vedi of trying to incite the family members. Gopan's sons have been vocally claiming that Muslim terrorists are behind the entire situation.

Residents emphasized that there is no Hindu-Muslim conflict in the area, noting that people of all faiths coexist peacefully. It appears that certain communal organizations are deliberately trying to foster religious polarization in the community.