About the missing scientific officer of Kaiga atomic power plant the Karnataka police said today that they suspect he may have committed suicide by jumping into the swollen Kali river. From June 8 this 47 year old scientist is missing.

K. G. Gaonkar, inspector of Mallapur police said to the media, “We suspect it to be a case of suicide… by jumping into the river, which has been in spate due to heavy monsoon rains.”

He also added that they have registered a case of unnatural death under section 174 Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). The case was filed after his decomposed body was fished out by naval divers from the river last Saturday night.

Mahalingam’s widow identified the body from the clothes he wore and a finger ring. His body was shifted to the Kaiga hospital adjoining the township and it was handed over to the family after post-mortem by a government doctor. Initial report of the postmortem suggests that the death was caused by drowning.