T’puram: The body of a 26-year-old man, who reportedly jumped into the backwaters at Mangattukadavu near Edava after spotting a group of excise officials in plain clothes, was recovered on Wednesday.The deceased is Shahan of Varkal, police said. He had been staying in a rented house in Edava.Shahan allegedly jumped into the backwaters around 2pm on Tuesday when a four-member Varkala excise team, in plain clothes, reached the area as part of an arrest operation. According to officials, five youths had gathered at the spot and were allegedly consuming drugs. On seeing the excise team, the youths ran in different directions, during which Shahan reportedly jumped into the water.Three of the youths managed to flee, while excise officials detained another youth who was allegedly under the influence of drugs. Mohammed, a native of Vettur, was taken into custody on Tuesday and is being questioned.The excise team also recovered around 5g of MDMA and a small quantity of ganja from a bag found near the spot. Preliminary information from an identity card found inside the bag indicated that it belonged to Abhijith of Neyyattinkara.A car believed to have been used by the group was also found abandoned by the roadside. The police identified the vehicle as belonging to a native of Poonthura.The search for Shahan, which was called off on Tuesday evening due to poor visibility, resumed around 7.30am on Wednesday. Fire and rescue personnel from Varkala recovered the body around 10.30am.Ayiroor Police have registered a case and are conducting further proceedings.The police completed the preliminary procedures and shifted the body to Govt Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, for autopsy.
