The decomposed body of a 40-year-old garments trader who had been missing for seven days was found floating in the Hooghly at Diamond Harbour on Sunday morning.

Pradeep Jhawar, who did business in Burrabazar and lived in Howrah, had been reported missing since December 7, when he had accompanied his wife till a clinic on Elgin Road and left for his shop by taxi.

Around 10am on Sunday, some residents of Diamond Harbour spotted a body floating near a picnic spot.

The body was identified as that of Pradeep from the driving licence found on him, but the police have yet to confirm if he was murdered. "Since the body was found in a decomposed state, it wasn't immediately possible to ascertain any injuries. We have sent the body for post-mortem," said an officer at Diamond Harbour police station.

Pradeep's family members said he had left his eighth-floor apartment on Dobson Road, near Howrah railway station, with his wife around 10.30am last Monday. "He dropped his wife at the clinic and told her he was going to his Burrabazar shop," said Hansraj Jhawar, the trader's father.

Pradeep called his wife around 6.45 that evening. It was to be their last conversation. His phone was found switched off after the call, according to the family.

"His wife didn't suspect anything was wrong while speaking to her husband. It was a normal phone conversation," said an officer at Golabari police station, which received a complaint on December 7 saying that he hadn't returned home.

Hansraj also lodged a complaint with the detective department in Lalbazar.

Pradeep's family members said they had no idea what could have led to his death. "I don't know anything about any rivalry he might have had in business. We didn't receive any ransom call either. He had a happy family life too," said a cousin of the deceased.

Investigators said they would speak to traders known to Pradeep in the Burrabazar area to find clues to his disappearance and presumably unnatural death.

"Our officers will visit the Burrabazar area where his shop is located. They will talk to the other shop owners and the deceased's clients as well, specifically to find out if he was struggling with finances," said an officer in the detective department. "We also intend contacting suppliers from whom he used to get garments to find out the volume of his business."

The police have already asked Pradeep's telecom service provider to provide his call records. "We are expecting some leads from that because he might have contacted some of his friends and business associates on the day of his disappearance," the officer said.