Bengaluru: The body of Dr Subbanna Ayyappan, 70, a former director general of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), was found in a decomposed state near an ashram in Srirangapatna of Mandya on Saturday. He is said to have gone missing from his residence in Mysuru city on May 7. His two-wheeler was found in the vicinity.
Police said they would wait for the autopsy report to determine the cause of death. Sources told Deccan Chronicle on Ayyappan might have died by suicide over personal reasons. Dr Ayyappan, a fisheries expert and a Padma Shri awardee, was the first scientist from a non-farm background to head the ICAR.
Police said his family members did not provide any information that could help with their investigations. Dr Ayyappan’s family filed a missing complaint at Vidyaranyapuram police station on Friday. Some locals came across the body near the ashram in Srirangapatna and informed the police who established his identity.
“We scanned the vicinity thoroughly and did not come across any suspicious elements to point fingers to murder of the noted scientist,” said a police officer who was present on the spot. He ruled out any foul play in the death of Dr Ayyappan, as per preliminary investigation.
Dr Ayyappan lived with his wife in Visvesvarayanagar in Mysuru city and often visited ashrams for meditation on the banks of the Cauvery in Srirangapatna of Mandya district, about 20 km away.
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