Demands to reinvestigate Saswathikananda death

KOCHI: The government will consider a fresh probe into the death of Swami Saswathikananda  in case of any new evidence in the charges  made by Mr Biju Ramesh, working president of the Kerala Bar Hotel Owners Association, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala told reporters here on Saturday.

The Crime Branch had  conducted a probe and submitted a report earlier on the circumstances leading to death of the Swami, he said. “We will verify the  fresh revelations,” he  said. 

Mr. Biju Ramesh has  alleged that Priyan, a hired killer, was deployed by SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan to kill the Swami, the then head of the Sivagiri Mutt.

The body of Swami was found in river Periyar in Aluva in July 2002. Mr. Biju Ramesh also alleged that soon after the incident, Mr  Vellappally had reached the residence of the Swami at  Muttada in Thiruvananthapuram and collected all the documents under the possession of the Swami.

FRESH PROBE SOUGHT: The SNDP Yogam council meeting held at Cherthala on Saturday urged the government to order a fresh probe into the death of Swami Saswathikananda. 

“ If the allegations levelled by  Biju Ramesh are found false, legal action  would be taken against him,’’ said  Mr  Vellappally Natesan.  He said that a CBI or police probe should be conducted into the  murder of T.P. Chandrasekharan also.

Yogam president Dr M.N. Soman said he had not conducted the autopsy of Saswathikananda Swami. “While the incident took place, I was attending a bookstall opening ceremony in the Aluva Advaitha Ashramam. We ran to the bank of the river hearing the screaming of Swami’s aide. Soon we  alerted the Fire and Rescue men and countryboat operators in the river.  One boat man  fished out the body of Swami. Following this, the swamies of the ashram said there was no need of an autopsy as nobody had any complaints. However, some sections of people levelled allegations and the  police  conducted an  autopsy in the ashram.  A female doctor sent by the hospital superintendent performed it which was videographed,’’ said  Mr Soman, who was then the Aluva SNDP union president.
 
KODIYERI’S DEMAND
CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan   demanded a detailed probe into the revelations made by  Mr Biju Ramesh in connection with the death of the Swami.

He said  in Thiruvananthapuram that  a special investigation team should be constituted to probe the fresh allegations. “These issues have never come in the public domain in the past. The home department should order an impartial probe to bring out the truth based on these revelations,” he said.

He said there was an attempt to polarise the state on religious lines by mobilising community and caste organisations.

However, the chief minister had remained silent on the RSS-BJP move to tie up with the SNDP. They were trying to fish in troubled waters,  he said and alleged that Rajan Babu had been deputed by the UDF to bring SNDP and BJP closer.

He alleged that a communal campaign was  being unleashed by the RSS at the local level to inject poison in the minds of the people. Under these circumstances,  all secular forces should come together and defeat their designs.

He said  a  situation like in 1982-87was developing in the  state when power was controlled by such communal organisations,  but later the LDF had defeated them massively.

Mr Kodiyeri justified the move to field Karayi Rajan and Karayi Chandrashekharan who are accused in the Fazil murder case and are facing CBI probe, in the local elections.  “I was an accused in a murder case when I contested the Assembly elections for the first time. But later that case was dismissed. I had never seen the person who was allegedly murdered by me even once in my life,” he added.

“Karayis have  no connection with the murder. The UDF government had forged a fake case against them. This reality should be discussed and the election is an opportunity for that. Let the people debate the issue during the elections,” he said.