Credited for playing a significant role in the ‘Blue Revolution’, Dr. Ayyappan was awarded the Padma Shri in 2022.
| Photo Credit: AVG PRASAD
The body of former director-general of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Subbanna Ayyappan, 69, was recovered from the Cauvery at Srirangapatna, near here, on Saturday (May 10, 2025) two days after he was reported missing in Mysuru.
The body was recovered after locals noticed it floating in the river near Sathya Sai Baba Ashram at Srirangapatna, said Superintendent of Mandya district police Mallikarjun Baladandi.
However, the cause of the noted scientist’s death is shrouded in mystery, with the police saying that they were not sure if he fell into the water accidentally or committed suicide.
Though Mr. Baladandi said investigations into the cause of death were still under way, police officials are not ruling out suicide. “The body was in a decomposed state when it was retrieved from the water. It did not bear any injuries. He had left the mobile phone at home. Suicide cannot be ruled out,” said a police official.
His footwear was found on the banks of the river, where his two-wheeler had also been parked. Dr. Ayyappan, who stays in an apartment on Akkamahadevi Road at Vishweshwarnagar Industrial Suburb in Mysuru, left his house on a two-wheeler on May 7. His relatives had registered a missing person’s complaint in the jurisdictional Vidyaranyapuram police station in Mysuru on May 8.
His body was handed over to the relatives after a post-mortem was conducted at K.R. Hospital here on Sunday. The last rites were performed with state honours at the foot of Chamundi Hills later in the day.
Dr. Ayyappan, who leaves behind his wife and two daughters, was a highly spiritual person and used to frequently visit Sri Ranganatha Swamy temple and Nimishamba temple at Srirangapatna, according to his relatives. After his mysterious disappearance, the relatives even carried out a search for him at various ashrams in the vicinity of Srirangapatna, when the body was recovered.
Born at Alakere in Karnataka on December 10, 1955, Dr. Ayyappan was educated at National High School in Bengaluru before studying in National College, Bengaluru. He studied at the College of Fisheries in Mangaluru, before obtaining a Ph.D in 1988.
A renowned aquaculture scientist, Dr. Ayyappan was the first non-crop scientist to head the ICAR. During his illustrious career, he held several positions, including director of the Central Institute for Freshwater Aquaculture and chairman of the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories.
Credited for playing a significant role in the ‘Blue Revolution’, Dr. Ayyappan was awarded the Padma Shri in 2022.
Published – May 11, 2025 11:05 am IST