CCD founder VG Siddhartha may have died of drowning

Mangaluru: A preliminary report on the post-mortem of Cafe Coffee Day (CCD) founder and business tycoon V.G. Siddhartha, whose body was discovered on the banks of Netravathi river on Wednesday, was submitted to the Investigating Officer (IO) on Friday with officials remaining tight-lipped on the cause of death though sources said all indications point to death by drowning.

The viscera samples have been sent to the forensic lab for a detailed investigation and once the findings are received, the final report will be prepared and submitted to the IO. These samples are crucial in ascertaining the condition of the body and the cause of death.

Meanwhile the fact that the body of Siddhartha was not bloated, as in other cases of drowning deaths, has raised various questions but forensic experts did not see anything unusual in this. "Bloating is a sign of decomposition. Usually the decomposition is quick when the water temperature is high (as in summer). It is raining now and the temperature of the water is low due to which the decomposition might have been delayed," a forensic expert told Deccan Chronicle. The CCD founder’s body was found 36 hours after he went missing from a bridge.