MANDYA: In a tragic incident, renowned agriculture and fisheries scientist Dr. Subbanna Ayyappan, a Padma Shri awardee, was found dead in the Cauvery River near Sai Ashram in Srirangapatna taluk of Mandya district on Saturday evening.
Dr. Ayyappan, who had been living with his wife in an apartment in Visvesvaraya Nagar, Mysuru, had gone missing on May 7. His family had filed a missing person report with the Vidyaranyapuram Police Station shortly after.
According to police, a local alerted them about a body seen floating near the Sai Ashram. Officers rushed to the scene and confirmed that it was Dr. Ayyappan. His scooter was also found parked near the riverbank.
Preliminary investigations suggest that he may have died by suicide three days ago. However, police are continuing their investigation to determine the exact cause of death. The body has been shifted to the KR Hospital mortuary for postmortem.
Dr. Ayyappan’s relative and advocate, Srinidhi, said the scientist was known to regularly visit both the Ramakrishna and Sai Ashrams for meditation.
Born on December 10, 1955, in Yalandur, Chamarajanagar district, Dr. Ayyappan had a distinguished academic and professional career. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Fisheries Science from Mangaluru and later completed his PhD from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru.
He served in various prestigious positions across India and played a key role in advancing the Blue Revolution — a movement to increase aquaculture production in the country. In 2022, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri. At the time of his death, he was serving as the Chairperson of the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).