Overview

• Dr. Subbanna Ayyappan, a Padma Shri awardee and former ICAR Director General, was found dead in the Cauvery River on May 10 after being reported missing on May 7.
• Police recovered his decomposed body near Sai Ashram in Srirangapatna, along with his abandoned two-wheeler, but no external injuries were observed.
• Authorities have not ruled out suicide but note that Ayyappan could not swim, leaving the exact circumstances of his death unclear pending further investigation.
• Ayyappan was celebrated for spearheading India's Blue Revolution, which transformed aquaculture and improved rural livelihoods, earning him national recognition in 2022.
• Calls for a court-monitored CBI probe into his death have emerged, with allegations of corruption and irregularities within ICAR potentially linked to the case.