Mysuru: The body of a 40-year-old CFTRI post-doctoral fellow, who had accidentally drowned at Chunchankatte Falls in Cauvery river while playing in the water during a weekend picnic with his family on Sunday evening, was traced on Monday morning, 16 hours after the accident.
The deceased, Dr B.S. Somshekar, was a Ramanujan research fellow at CFTRI here. “Only those with high calibre are chosen for the fellowship and they draw salary equivalent to that of principal scientists at CFTRI. He served in the CFTRI since May 2016,” sources at the institute said.
He is survived by his wife Prathima and five-year-old daughter Nishaani. He was staying at the CFRTI quarters and hailed from Chikkamaranahalli near Nelamangala.
Eyewitnesses said that the water level which was low when he entered the river suddenly rose. Local people could rescue his wife and child, but could not save Somshekar, though they threw a rope to him.
Local fishermen, fire and emergency services and police personnel immediately launched a search operation for the body on Sunday evening, but had to call it off as it soon became dark. The operation continued on Monday morning and the body was traced. It was handed over to his family members after an
autopsy at the government hospital in K.R. Nagar.
His family was inconsolable when the body arrived near their residence at CFTRI quarters. His body was later taken to Chikkamaranahalli near Nelamangala for cremation.
It is said that the Graphite hydro-electric power station near the waterfalls released water after sounding a siren. But the family apparently did not hear it. K.R. Nagar Tahsildar Maheshchandra reportedly held a meeting with the officials of the power station, and told them to increase the volume of the siren.
