Mahalingam’s body found in Kali river near Kaiga plant
Kaiga, June 14: The body of the missing scientist of Kaiga nuclear plant in Karnataka, N Mahalingam, has been found in Kali River near Kaiga nuclear plant.
Ending the mystery over the disappearance of the Kaiga Nuclear power plant scientist, N Mahalingam, naval divers today recovered his body from the Kali river, six days after he went missing.
Naval divers fished out the body of Mahalingam, the scientific officer at the plant, who was reported missing during a morning walk on June 8, from the river flowing near the Kaiga township, police said.
Police said they are investigating whether Mahalingam had drowned or there was any foul playEarlier, today, Intelligence officials along with security personnel had intensified the search to trace the missing scientist of the Kaiga nuclear plant in Karnataka, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had said today.
“We don’t know under what circumstances he went missing. Intelligence officials have intensified the search,” he had told reporters here, as the mystery continued over the disappearance of Loknath Mahalingam.
He said the Centre was not aware of the circumstances under which the scientist went missing and urged the family members of Mahalingam to share information about him.
Mahalingam, a scientific officer in the Kaiga generating station of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL), went missing during his routine morning walk in the project township on June 8.
NPCIL authorities said yesterday that Mahalingam did not have any access to sensitive documents and dismissed fears that he was involved in any strategic programme. Mahalingam had earlier worked with Madras Atomic Power Project (MAPP) in Kalpakkam near Chennai.
CRPF personnel and local police had launched a hunt to trace Mahalingam after his wife Sundari lodged a complaint with the Kaiga police.
According to officials, this is the second time that Mahalingam has gone missing. Earlier while working at Kalpakkam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu, he was reported missing for a few days but returned home later.
—Agencies