Bengaluru, May 11 The Karnataka Police have launched an investigation into the suspicious death of Padma Shri awardee Dr Subbanna Ayyappan, the first non-crop scientist to head the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), officials said on Sunday.
The 70-year-old Ayyappan, a respected aquaculture scientist and a prominent leader of India’s 'Blue Revolution', was found dead under mysterious circumstances. His decomposed body was discovered in the Cauvery River near Srirangapatna town in Mandya district on Saturday. He had been missing since May 7, after stepping out of his home as usual.
According to police, Ayyappan's scooter was found abandoned on the riverbank. The Srirangapatna police, who are handling the case, said a missing person complaint had been filed earlier by his family with the Vidyaranyapuram police station in Mysuru.
Preliminary investigations suggest that Ayyappan may have jumped into the river near the Sai Baba Ashram in Srirangapatna. His body was sent for post-mortem, and police are awaiting the report.
Family members and friends informed police that Ayyappan often visited the banks of the Cauvery River for meditation. He was also a frequent visitor to the Ramakrishna Ashram in Mysuru. His body was recovered after the police received a tip-off from the public about a floating body in the river, which they then identified as Ayyappan.
While preliminary findings indicate the possibility of suicide, police stated that the exact cause of death will be determined only after a full investigation. Ayyappan is survived by his wife, two daughters, and a son-in-law.
Dr Ayyappan served as the head of ICAR until 2016. He was honoured with the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in 2013, and in recognition of his contributions to science and engineering, he was conferred the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2022.
An agricultural and fisheries (aquaculture) scientist, Ayyappan worked in several cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bhopal, Barrackpore, Bhubaneswar, and Bengaluru. He served as Director of the Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA) in Bhubaneswar and Director of the Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE) in Mumbai.
He played a key role in advancing India’s Blue Revolution and was instrumental in building and nurturing several institutions. He also served as Vice-Chancellor of the Central Agricultural University (CAU) in Imphal.
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