Dajiworld Media Network - Srirangapatna/Mysuru
Srirangapatna/Mysuru, May 11: Noted agricultural scientist and Padma Shri awardee Prof Subbanna Ayyappan (70), who also served as the former director general of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), has been found dead under mysterious circumstances.
His decomposed body was recovered on Saturday afternoon from the Cauvery River near Srirangapatna in Mandya district. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.
According to police, “Prof Ayyappan lived on Akkamahadevi Road in the Visvesvaraya Nagar Industrial Area of Mysuru. He is believed to have jumped into the river near the Sai Baba Ashram in Srirangapatna three days ago. His scooter was found parked on the riverbank.”
Family members had lodged a missing person complaint with Vidyaranyapuram police in Mysuru, stating that he had left home on May 7 without his mobile phone, which was found at the house. The body has been sent to KR Hospital in Mysuru for postmortem. The exact cause of death is yet to be determined, police said.
CCTV footage showed Ayyappan travelling towards the Srirangapatna area on his scooter from the Ring Road junction on the Mysuru–Bengaluru highway. Mysuru police had shared this information with their counterparts in Srirangapatna.
Regular meditator
“Ayyappan used to frequent the Ramakrishna Ashram in Mysuru and the banks of the Cauvery in Srirangapatna for meditation. His body was recovered from one such meditation spot,” said his relative, advocate Sreenidhi.
About Prof Ayyappan
A pioneer in agriculture and aquaculture research, Ayyappan served in key research positions in Delhi, Mumbai, Bhopal, and Bengaluru. He played a major role in India's ‘Blue Revolution’ and was awarded the Padma Shri in 2022 for his contributions to agricultural science. He also served as the vice chancellor of the Central Agricultural University (CAU) in Imphal.
Born on December 10, 1955, he hailed from Yelandur in Chamarajanagar district. He pursued his B.F.Sc. (1975) and M.F.Sc. (1977) in Mangaluru, and obtained his PhD from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, in 1998.
He held top posts including secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), director general of ICAR, and president of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences. He was known for his institution-building initiatives and had chaired several scientific committees, earning numerous accolades during his illustrious career.