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The apparent drowning death of a Stanford University professor is under investigation after his body was found Friday afternoon floating in his backyard swimming pool in Atherton, a San Mateo County deputy coroner said today.

Rajeev Motwani, a 47-year-old Atherton resident and computer science professor renowned for his academic research and for assisting Silicon Valley start-ups, was found at about 12:30 p.m. Friday, according to the San Mateo County coroner's office.

Motwani was last seen around 1:30 a.m. Friday during a party at his home, according to the coroner's office.

Friends of Motwani said he did not know how to swim, according to a press release issued by the university.

The coroner's office is investigating whether Motwani's death was related to a pre-existing medical condition.

According the university, Motwani was born in Jammu, India, and earned a bachelor's degree in computer science from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur in 1983 and his Ph.D from the University of California at Berkeley, in 1988.

He leaves behind his wife, Asha Jadeja, two daughters, Naitri and Anya, and two brothers. The university is planning a public memorial service.

— Bay City News Service