Death due to heart attack, not murder or samadhi; Neyyattinkara Gopan case closed

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The police have closed the case in connection with the death of Neyyattinkara Gopan after confirming that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death. The police clarified that Gopan was neither murdered nor he has entered samadhi. The case was closed after the police submitted a report to the court stating that Gopan died of a heart attack.

The final report says that Gopan’s sons took his body and placed it in the samadhi site only after his death. The mystery surrounding the case was cleared after the results of the chemical examination of his internal organs were received months later. Although bruises were found on Gopan’s nose, head, face and forehead, the post-mortem report had stated that none of these injuries caused his death.

Gopan had blockages in his coronary arteries and was also suffering from liver cirrhosis. No serious injuries or wounds were found on his body. Tests also found that there were no signs of poisoning or significant damage to the internal organs. The police therefore completely ruled out the possibility of murder.

The final report also rejects the possibility, claimed by Gopan’s family, that he walked to the spot, sat down and entered samadhi. Nevertheless, the family are trying to build a temple for Gopan. Rituals are still being conducted at the place where his body was buried, under the leadership of his son.

The Kerala Police and district administration intervened to bring an end to the samadhi controversy rarely heard of in Kerala in recent times. After local residents raised suspicions about the possibility of murder and other unexplained circumstances, the police dismantled the ‘samadhi platform’ prepared by Gopan’s sons and exhumed the body for a post-mortem examination. Later, with the support of Hindu organisations, the sons again placed the body in samadhi.

Gopan was placed in samadhi near the Kailasanatha Temple at Kavuvilakam in Neyyattinkara. His son Rajasenan, who is also a priest at the temple, performs the rituals there. Rajasenan claims that his father Gopan was not a swami but a god himself. He also said that many devotees are coming to see the deity.