Kerala Police to further probe death of Swami Swaswethikananda

Alappuzha: The Kerala Police have decided to further probe the death of Swami Swaswethikananda in July 2002. The investigation was earlier closed after being presumed to be a case of drowning, a minister said on Saturday.

"The further probe would be coordinated by additional director general of police (Crime Branch) S Ananthakrishnan and would be conducted by Crime Branch superindent of police PK Madhu," State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala told reporters here.

The new move came following a Kerala court accepting a petition by PD Joseph earlier this month which sought a re-investigation into the mysterious death of the seer in the light of fresh revelations.

The popular Swami, who had wide connections across political parties at the time of his death, had serious difference of opinion with Vellapally Natesan, the powerful Hindu Ezhava leader and general secretary of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Sangom. 

The case took a turn to this extent following fresh revelation which came from leading businessman Biju Ramesh, after Natesan opened his mind to form a political party and was getting ready to join the third front led by the BJP .

Businessman Biju Ramesh in a TV channel discussion revealed that a person called Priyan had pleaded with him soon after the death of the Swami not to rake up the case, saying that the Swami was killed by him (Priyan) as directed by Natesan.

Following the revelation both the CPI-M and even a section of top senior Congress leaders said that the clear the air a further probe needed to be conducted to settle the issue once and for all.

Incidentally, the Kerala police in 2013 filed the closure report in the Kerala high court stating that the Swami died after a fall and his head hit the rocks in the river bed. And, there was no foul play.

On Friday, Biju Ramesh gave a new statement to the police in the case and even volunteered to undergo a lie detector test.

Hailing the further probe, Natesan said there are some people whose doubts will never end and wished with the new probe their doubts may be cleared permanently.

"Let there be any probe and whatever happens, nothing is going to happen to me," said Natesan when reporters told him about the new directive.