Foul play not suspected in Motwani's death: Police

WASHINGTON: Police do not suspect foul play from preliminary evidence gathered in the mysterious death of India-born Stanford professor Rajeev Motwani, the mentor and adviser of founders of top companies like Google and PayPal.

There is no initial evidence of foul play in the drowning mishap, Atherton police Sgt Tim Lynch was quoted as saying by local newspaper San Jose Mercury News.

Lynch said an autopsy report is awaited to carry forward the probe into the incident.

"We're kind of in limbo... It could have been a simple accident or many other things," he added.

Motwani (47) was found dead in the backyard swimming pool of his Palo Alto home in California on Friday.

Local media reported that Motwani, who did not know how to swim, may have slipped into the pool and drowned. Paramedics were summoned when his body was found.

Lynch said firefighters and a police officer pulled Motwani's body from the bottom of the pool.

The news of Motwani's death sent shock waves throughout the Silicon Valley and the tech world globally, as he was known to be the master brain behind several key advancements in the world of Internet, including Google and PayPal.

Meanwhile, friends and family members of Motwani have opened the "Rajeev Motwani Foundation" in his honour, requesting people to send in their contribution.