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Row over Kerala man’s entombment; cops want to exhume body
The body was interred under a tomb-like structure as per his “last wish” by his two sons on January 9.
After suspicions were raised by local residents regarding the death of a man alleged to have died through “samadhi” (burial), police at Neyyattinkara in Kerala have sought the district collector’s approval to exhume the remains of the deceased. His body was interred under a tomb-like structure as per his “last wish” by his two sons on January 9, a police officer aware of the matter said on Sunday.
The incident came to light when the local residents in Kavuvilakam noticed a poster on a wall stating that Gopan, a self-styled “acharya guru” of his family temple, attained “samadhi” on January 9 under a tree beside his home. “Samadhi” as per Hindu and Buddhist beliefs refers to attaining “spiritual liberation” and in this case, death through meditation.
Gopan’s younger son Rajasenan told the media and the local residents that his father, the chief priest of the family temple, died under the tree in their presence and following his last wish, he and his elder brother built a tomb-like structure over the remains.
The local residents, suspicious of the claims of Rajasenan, informed the Neyyattinkara police whose officers visited the spot and took detailed statements from the family.
An officer said, “We have filed a missing persons case and taken statements from the family. We have asked the district collector for her approval to remove the tomb and exhume the remains. An autopsy has to be done to confirm the cause of death.”
Rajasenan, who also conducts puja at the temple, told the media that his father had even brought the stone slabs from Kanyakumari months ago “anticipating his death” and that he had chosen to die “through samadhi” as per his beliefs.
“On January 9, after conducting pujas at the temple, my father informed me and the family that it was time for his ‘samadhi’. He walked over to the tree, sat under it in the ‘padmasana’ pose, blessed me and merged with the supreme consciousness. No one is supposed to witness the samadhi in person. I and my brother then did detailed rituals, which lasted nearly 10 hours. I have not committed any wrong,” he said.
At the same time, the locals were not satisfied with the explanation and stressed the need for a doctor to certify a person’s death. They also claimed Gopan was extremely ill over the past two years and could not have walked to the tree on his own.
Viswambharan, a neighbour, said he had often heard arguments between Gopan and his two sons.
“I have often heard them fighting. Also, he was very ill for the past two years. I don’t believe the son when he says that his father walked on his own and died. There is a mystery behind this,” he said.
