Wayanad: The body of a young man who was missing since July 17 was recovered from a waterlogged area near NH 766, in front of the KVR Motors, at Muttil, here, on Friday. The victim has been identified as Variyattukunnu Arun Kumar, son of Ravi, a native of Theneri, near Kakkavayal.

His bike, mobile phone, and slippers also were found near the spot.

Police suspect that the youth drowned after accidentally falling into the marshy land. The bike in which he was travelling might have skidded and fallen into the waterlogged field while Arun Kumar was trying to evade an accident, police said.

The residents who noticed a foul smell emitting from the locality initiated a search and found the body on the field days after Arun's family lodged a complaint with the police.

His body was handed over to his family after autopsy, said police.

Arun Kumar was a proprietor of a vehicle pollution testing center at Meenangadi here. He is survived by his mother Shobhana and two brothers. The body was released to the relatives after conducting an autopsy.