Kochi | A decomposed body was recovered from a forested area near the Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) premises in Kalamassery here on Sunday, police said.

The body is suspected to be that of Suraj Lama (59), a native of Bengaluru, who had reached Kochi after being deported from Kuwait, a police official said.

According to the police, the body was found during the search for Lama, who had been reported missing since October 10.

Lama, who ran a restaurant in Kuwait, reportedly suffered memory loss due to methanol poisoning and was deported in early October.

He arrived at Kochi airport on October 5 and was admitted to Ernakulam Medical College in Kalamassery.

However, he went missing from the hospital on October 10.

His son Santon had reached Kochi and searched for him, but without success.

He later filed a habeas corpus petition in the Kerala High Court, which directed the police to form a special investigation team to locate the missing man.

Police officials said CCTV checks showed that Lama was last seen near the HMT premises.

A search in the area led to the discovery of the decomposed body, an official said.

The police suspect it to be Lama’s body as the clothing matches what he was last seen wearing.

Santon has been informed about it and asked to arrive in Kochi for identification.

Confirmation will be made only after scientific examinations, including a DNA test, police said.

The cause of the death has to be ascertained after the post mortem, police added.