Self-styled priest’s death case closed; police cite heart attack as cause of death
Death of Gopan Swamy, alias Maniyan, from Neyyattinkara had attracted widespread attention after his family placed his body in a concrete chamber near their residence at Aralumoodu in January 2025
The case involving the mysterious death of a self-styled priest, Gopan Swamy, also known as Maniyan, from Neyyattinkara in Keralam, has been officially closed by the police. According to their final report, Gopan died of a heart attack and was not murdered. The case had garnered significant attention in the region after his family had placed his body in a concrete chamber near their home in Aralumoodu in January 2025.
The family had claimed that Gopan voluntarily entered "samadhi," a ritual where individuals choose to end their lives. However, the lack of public disclosure about his death and burial-like ritual initially raised suspicions among local residents. These suspicions eventually led to a police investigation, which intensified when residents suggested the possibility of murder and questioned why the family proceeded with the ritual without informing their neighbors and others.
Following the police's opening of the concrete chamber and examination of the body, the preliminary investigation did not reveal any obvious fatal injuries. However, post-mortem examination results revealed bruising on Gopan's body, including his nose, head, face, and forehead. While these injuries did not explain his death, they did show underlying health problems affecting his liver and heart.
The chemical examination of internal organs also found no evidence of poisoning or fatal internal injury. The heart had significant coronary artery blockages, and the liver disease was severe.
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