Former Vice Chancellor of Alliance University D Ayyappa, 53, was allegedly hacked to death at HMT ground in RT Nagar on Tuesday night.
According to the police, Ayyappa stepped out of his home after dinner for a walk around 11 pm on Tuesday.
Ayyappa's wife Bhavana noticed that he had not returned only the next morning, police said. She along with others then went out in search of him. By that time, police officers on patrol had found the body. They informed Ayyappa's wife who identified his body.
Police suspect that a dispute over the ownership of Alliance University may have been the motive behind the murder. Senior police officials formed special teams to investigate the crime.
A senior police official said that Ayyappa was involved in real estate after he left his post at the university. All angles would be investigated, he said.
Bhavana told police that it was her husband's regular routine to go for a walk after dinner.