After mysterious death, protests thwart exhumation efforts by police in Neyyattinkara

Family resistance halts exhumation of elderly man's body in Neyyattinkara, sparking controversy and accusations of communal issues.

Stiff resistance from the family of an elderly man, whose mysterious death sparked controversy in Neyyattinkara, thwarted the district administration’s bid to exhume his body on Monday.

Efforts to break open the tomb where the body of Gopan Swami, alias Maniyan, 69, of Kavuvilakam, Aralumoodu, was purportedly interred by his sons were halted for the day, with the authorities deciding to finalise a new date for exhumation on Tuesday.

Earlier, Thiruvananthapuram Collector Anu Kumari had approved a request from the Neyyattinkara police to exhume the body after Sub-collector and Thiruvananthapuram Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) Alfred O.V. visited the site. Soon after, the police and a forensic team arrived to commence the proceedings.

However, the decision led to protests, with Gopan’s wife Sulochana, and sons, Sanandan and Rajasenan, staging a demonstration at the spot. Although the police removed them forcibly, the family’s lawyer and certain Hindu organisations, led by Vaikunda Swamy Dharma Pracharna Sabha (VSDP) leader Vishnupuram Chandrasekharan, demanded that the family be served a notice prior to exhumation. They also accused the authorities of ignoring the community’s religious beliefs, calling the allegations raised by a section of residents ‘baseless.’

This led to accusations from local people that Gopan’s family and their supporters were turning the matter into a communal issue, escalating tension in the area.

In light of the confrontation, the family was summoned to the Neyyattinkara police station for further discussion. Following talks, Mr. Alfred said the exhumation would be postponed. He added that steps would be taken to restore peace in the locality, emphasising that the situation would be handled purely on legal grounds.

He further explained that the police, including the Special Branch, would be consulted before proceeding with the exhumation and that a new date would be communicated to the family on Tuesday. Gopan’s sons have claimed that he “attained samadhi,” but his death remains shrouded in mystery, with some local people suspecting foul play. The Neyyattinkara police had filed a missing person case a day after the brothers posted notices on January 10, announcing Gopan’s death. Gopan used to perform pujas at a shrine built by the family with assistance from local residents.