The controversy over the mysterious death of Sivagiri Mutt head Swami Saswathikananda in 2002 worsened further on Tuesday with Vellappally Natesan, general secretary of SNDP Yogam, outfit of Hindu lower caste Ezhavas who constitute over 20 per cent of the Kerala population, challenging his critics to prove the charge of his involvement and several others coming out with arguments supporting and opposing him.
Stating that the basic reason for the allegations being raised against him was the SNDP’s move to lead the efforts to constitute a political party of the majority communities, Natesan said he would shave his head and leave for Kashi (‘going to Kashi’ is the ultimate pilgrimage) if the charges against him were proved.
“Hindus should get justice. All of us (different communities’ delegates) sat together, thought about it and decided to float a party. This will be a Hindu collective. Quakes are occurring just when a party under the Hindu communities’ leadership is being planned. If that is so, what will be the condition when such a party comes into beingIJ” he asked.
Claiming that he had no links with the BJP, Natesan pointed out that his critics had started raising charges against him after he met with BJP leaders (party president Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi). I have met Sonia Gandhi and CPI(M) leaders earlier. There were no such problems then,” he told newsmen in Alappuzha.
At the same time, Vavarambalam Surendran, an aide of the dead Swami, made a scathing charge against Thushar Vellappally, Natesan’s son and SNDP vice-president, that he had tried to photograph the seer along with a naked woman during a trip to the Gulf in order to blackmail him. Natesan said the antecedents of those who were raising the charges should be examined.
Also, it became clear on Tuesday that the Crime Branch of Kerala Police, which had probed the Swami’s death, had concluded that there was no evil side to the tragedy but the seer had drowned in River Periyar in Aluva near Kochi after being caught in the undercurrent even as Subhash, another aide of the seer, claimed that Swami’s death was voluntary “Jalasamadhi”.
Charges began to mount against Natesan about three weeks ago after he announced the plan for the new party and indicated the possibility of allying with the BJP. He was first accused of amassing hundreds of crores of rupees through appointments made in the Yogam-controlled schools and colleges and later he was charged with corruption in a microfinance scheme.
last week, Biju Ramesh, whistleblower in the bar bribery scam, alleged that a hired killer, Priyan, had murdered Swami Saswathikananda on July 1, 2002 at the behest of Natesan. He had said that Priyan himself had told him about his role and that of Natesan in the murder. However, Priyan rejected Biju Ramesh’s claim on Tuesday.
Priyan, accused in another murder case, told the media that his name was now being dragged into the controversy by certain people in order to make political capital. “This charge had come up against me earlier. The police had found that there was no substance in it. The same charge is now being raised again with political intentions,” he said.
Amidst strengthening demands from various quarters for a follow-up investigation into the Swami’s death, State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala had the other day asked the Additional DGP, Crime Branch, to examine the matter and file a report.