Thiruvananthapuram, May 26 (IANS): The butchered body of a 58-year-old hotelier, who had gone missing on May 18, was recovered from two trolley bags at Attapadi in Kerala's Kozhikode district on Friday.

According to reports, the bizarre crime was carried out by a 22-year-old man and his 18-year-old female friend.

It all began when Siddiq (the hotel owner) went missing from his hotel on the 18th of this month.

The hotelier was last spotted at a lodge about six kms from his hotel, the day he went missing.

Police suspect that the crime was carried out in the hotel room by Shibly and his friend Farhana -- both of whom worked in Siddiq's hotel for around three weeks.

Following his disappearance, a missing report was filed and police traced out the two suspects from Chennai. They were taken into custody by Chennai police.

Based on their interrogation, police took one Ashiq into custody.

This morning, the probe team along with Ashiq, reached Attapadi and recovered the two trolley bags, which were abandoned on the road before the two accused drove away.

The Fire Force, along with a huge police force, retrieved the chopped body from the bags.

As per locals witnessing the operation, an unbearable stench emanated from the bags.

The deceased's son, who arrived from the Middle East after Siddiq went missing, said after the 18th of this month, a huge amount of money has been withdrawn from his father's account.

"Shibly and Farhana are currently in Chennai Railway Police's custody and will soon be brought here. Prima facie, it appears that the crime took place on the 18th or 19th. The body is now almost a week old and an urgent forensic examination is needed. The post-mortem will be conducted at the Kozhikode Medical College hospital," said a top police official at Malappuram.