Renowned fisheries and agriculture scientist and Padma Shri awardee, Dr Subbanna Ayyappan, who had been missing since May 7, was found dead near the Cauvery River in Srirangapatna taluk, Mandya district, on Saturday evening.

Dr Ayyappan, 69, a resident of Visvesvaraya Nagar in Mysuru, had been reported missing by his family, who filed a complaint at Vidyaranyapuram Police Station. On Saturday, a local resident alerted the police after spotting a body floating in the river. When officers arrived at the scene, they confirmed the body was Dr Ayyappan and discovered his two-wheeler parked close to the riverbank.

Preliminary investigations suggest he may have died by suicide around three days prior. The body has been sent to KR Hospital in Mysuru for a postmortem to establish the exact cause of death. Authorities are continuing their probe.

Dr Ayyappan was widely respected for his contributions to India’s Blue Revolution and played a key role in advancing the country’s aquaculture sector. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Fisheries Science from Mangaluru and later completed his PhD at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru.

At the time of his death, he was serving as chairperson of the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). His relative, Srinidhi, mentioned he regularly visited spiritual centres like the Ramakrishna and Sai Ashrams for meditation and inner peace.