Noted legal expert and recipient of the Infosys Science Foundation prize Shamnad Basheer was found dead in a car near Bababudangiri near Chikkamagaluru taluk on Thursday evening. Mr. Basheer, 43, who taught in many prestigious institutes in India and abroad, is a resident of Bengaluru.

A team of officials, led by Harish Pandey, SP, found him dead in his car parked in an open area between Bababudangiri and Manikyadhara. “The exact reason for his death would be known after the post-mortem is done on Friday. It seems like he slept in the car, switching on the heater. Inhaling too much of carbon monoxide could be the reason for his death. There are chances of a short-circuit too,” Harish Pandey told The Hindu.

Mr. Basheer had often visited the hill station for meditation. According to the police, he reached Chikkamagaluru on July 31 and on the third day he went to Bababudangiri. “On August 3, he hired a local driver, Murthy, to go to Bababudangiri. After reaching the place he asked the driver to return in two days to take him back,” the officer said. He was not traceable for four days and his family members filed a missing complaint on Wednesday. The SP said the car was locked from inside and the key was in the ignition. “As of now, there is no material to suggest any foul play,” he added.

Mr. Basheer, who graduated from the National Law School of India University in Bengaluru, did his postgraduation at the University of Oxford. He taught at the National University of Juridical Sciences in Kolkata and in the University of Illinois. He is one among the noted experts on intellectual property law.

He was awarded the Infosys Science Foundation Prize in 2014 for his contribution to the field of research in humanities. He is the founder of SpicyIP, a blog on intellectual property and innovation law and policy, and Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access (IDIA).