Malappuram: The body of a woman was found inside a sack in the Tirur river near Padinjarekkara in Malappuram district on Friday. Police suspect that the deceased is Fousiya, 37, a native of Padinjarekkara beach, who went missing along with her husband, Hussain, 40, on Wednesday night.

Fousiya’s son had lodged a complaint with the police after the couple went to the beach area on Wednesday night and failed to return home even by Thursday evening.

Around noon on Friday, a group of fishermen preparing to go fishing from boats anchored near the mouth of the Tirur river noticed a white-coloured sack caught in the anchor of a boat. They pulled the sack out and, suspecting that it contained a human body, informed the Tirur police.

Police completed the inquest proceedings and shifted the body to Tirur Hospital for further examination. A preliminary examination led police to suspect that the body could be that of Fousiya. The identity will be confirmed through further procedures.

Meanwhile, Hussain remains missing, and police have launched a search to trace him.

Local residents said Hussain, a fisherman, allegedly assaulted Fousiya regularly while intoxicated and that the couple often quarrelled. 

On Wednesday morning, Fousiya had an argument with her husband, damaged her Aadhaar card, phone and other belongings, and left the house. He allegedly returned home later that night in an intoxicated state and went to bed.

According to the complaint, on Thursday, he told Fousiya that there was a large catch of fish along the shore and forcibly took her with him to collect the fish. She reportedly left home with him, leaving their son and daughter at home.

The son works at an ice company at Padinjarekkara. Fousiya is a domestic worker who works at different houses. When the daughter returned from school and found her mother missing, she asked neighbours, who said they had not seen her during the day.

Police were tracking the phone number because it showed a location near Purathur bus stand.