New Delhi: A former member of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) on Sunday demanded a court-monitored CBI investigation into the "untimely and mysterious" death of former ICAR Director General and Padma Shri awardee Subbanna Ayyappan.

Venugopal Badaravada, previously on ICAR's Governing Body, said: "The conditions surrounding his untimely death are deeply troubling. His scooter was found abandoned, and the cause of his death remains unclear. These circumstances demand a court-monitored CBI investigation".

In separate letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, Badaravada alleged that the tragic event reveals "deep-rooted corruption, irregular appointments, and abuse of power within ICAR, ASRB (Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board), and affiliated institutions".

"Ayyappan ji's death might be a consequence of institutional vendetta or administrative collapse, as the scientific and farming communities are now alleging," he added.

Ayyappan (70) was found dead in the Cauvery River near Srirangapatna, Karnataka, on Saturday. His two-wheeler was discovered on the riverbank, with local police suspecting he may have jumped into the river. His body was recovered three days after he went missing under suspicious circumstances.

Badaravada also criticised ICAR for "unlawfully" removing him from the governing body on May 5 through "a one-sided office order without conducting a serious inquiry".

"This unlawful removal reflects a dangerous trend within ICAR, silencing whistleblowers while shielding entrenched corruption," he claimed.

Ayyappan, who resided in Vishweshwara Nagar Industrial Area of Mysuru, was reported missing on May 7 when his family filed a complaint with the Vidyaranyapuram Police Station. Police noted that he often meditated at the Saibaba ashram, located on the Cauvery River banks in Srirangapatna.

The deceased scientist was the first non-crop specialist to head ICAR and was credited with playing a significant role in India's 'Blue Revolution'.

He is survived by his wife and two daughters. PTI