Who was ICAR scientist Subbanna Ayyappan found dead in Cauvery
13 May 2025

Dr. Subbanna Ayyappan, a noted agricultural scientist and Padma Shri awardee, was found dead in the Cauvery River near Sai Ashram at Srirangapatna in Karnataka.

The 70-year-old scientist lived with his wife in Mysuru's Vishweshwara Nagar industrial area.

Mandya police said he had been missing from his house since May 7. His family filed a complaint at the Vidyaranapuram police station after he didn't return for three days.

Brief introduction
Biography

Ayyappan was an Indian aquaculture scientist who was the Director-General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Secretary to Government, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) from January 2010 to February 2016.

He has been hailed as the person who brought about the "blue revolution" in India.

He pioneered new and improved methods of fish farming, transforming the way India raises and catches fish.

He was also the first non-crop scientist to head the ICAR.

Investigation launched into Ayyappan's death
Case details

The Srirangapatna police have launched a probe into the circumstances of Ayyappan's death.

Preliminary investigations indicated he might have jumped into the river, but officials said only a detailed probe could ascertain the reason for his death.

Police were notified of an unidentified body in the river on May 10, and on recovering it, confirmed it to be Ayyappan's.

His scooter was recovered from the riverbank by Mandya police, establishing a further link to the place.

Calls for CBI investigation into Ayyappan's death
Investigation demands

Ayyappan's shocking death has triggered calls for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.

Venugopal Badaravada, a former member of ICAR's Governing Body, said "untimely and mysterious" circumstances surrounded Ayyappan's death.

Ayyappan's scooter was found abandoned, and the reason for death was still unclear, so a court-monitored CBI investigation is needed, he added.

Allegations of institutional vendetta and corruption
Corruption claims

Badaravada's letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah alleged deep-rooted corruption, irregular appointments, and abuse of power in ICAR, ASRB (Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board), and its affiliates.

He hinted Ayyappan's death could be due to "institutional vendetta or administrative collapse."

These claims have struck a chord with not just members of the scientific community but also farmers.