Mumbai:
A 48-year-old scientist of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) was allegedly murdered at his residence in south Mumbai and police suspect the role of someone known to him in the crime.
Mahadevan Padmanabhan Iyer, a mechanical engineer working in BARC's Reactor Group, was found murdered at his first floor apartment near Breach Candy Hospital late Monday night, Deputy Commissioner of Police Sanjay Mohite said on Tuesday.
Police were conducting probe from various angles, including if the scientist was involved in any sensitive project at the premier government research facility and whether that had led to his murder, he said.
Iyer, a bachelor hailing from Tamil Nadu, was found lying in his bed with a rope tied around his neck, which bore injuries, Mohite said.
The post-mortem report revealed he was assaulted with a blunt object on his head, which led to internal bleeding, he said, adding that subsequently a murder case was registered against an unidentified person.
Iyer had been working with reactor design and development division for over a decade.
"The scientist was last seen on Saturday (February 20) when he returned home in a taxi. He had not married and was living alone in the research centre's quarters," Mohite said.
"Newspapers were lying outside his door since Saturday following which one of the neighbours phoned Iyer at his landline number, but Iyer did not respond. He never carried a mobile phone," Mohite said.
Late on Monday night, one of the neighbours opened the door using a duplicate key and found Iyer lying in his bedroom, he said.
"Nothing was stolen from the house and there were no indications of resistance which means some known person(s) must have committed the murder and locked the door from outside," Mohite said.
As part of the probe, police went through the log book of visitors kept with the security guards at the building and also visited the BARC at Trombay to inquire about Iyer.
The scientist is survived by his mother, two brothers and a sister. One of his brothers, Mahesh (42), is a professor in a college in Nashik district, police said.