Kerala police exhume body of man who attained 'samadhi'

During the exhumation, the body was discovered in a sitting position. Several pooja items, including 'vibhuti' (sacred ash), were reportedly found inside the grave, according to police sources.

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala police on Thursday exhumed the body of a 69-year-old man, whose family claimed that he attained 'samadhi', in view of suspicions over the death.

The body of Gopan alias Gopan Swami, 69, hailing from Neyyatinkara on the suburbs of Thiruvananthapuram was exhumed under tight security.

While his family comprising wife and two sons claimed that he attained 'samadhi' last Thursday, his relatives and a section of local residents raised suspicion as they were not informed of the death.

Though the police tried to open the grave on Monday, the family and some religious outfits raised objections. The family approached the Kerala High Court on Wednesday against the opening of the grave, but did not get any order in their favour.

Following the court order, the police on Thursday morning unearthed the grave and found the body of Gopan in a sitting position. The body was shifted to a hospital and later handed over to the family after postmortem examination.

There were no injury marks on the body prima facie, but a conclusion on the cause of death could be known only after further forensic examinations, said the police.

The family, backed by some religious outfits, is planning to perform a major 'samadhi' function on Friday at the premises of his house where a temple is also situated.

The family claim that Gopan had been living the life of a saint over the last many decades and had spiritual powers. They claimed that he walked to the site of 'samadhi' and instructed them to keep the body away from public view as it could affect the spiritual powers of the 'samadhi'.