Coimbatore : The owner of a private women’s hostel wanted in connection with a complaint that he along with the woman warden lured inmates for sexual favour was found dead in a well in Alankulam in Tirunelveli district today.

Cases had been registered against Jagannathan and warden Punita under Prevention of Atrocities Against Women Act for their alleged involvement in attempting to lure five girls during the birthday party on July 22 in a city hotel and trying to force them to consume liquor. They were told to contact the hostel owner who would provide everything they wanted.

Police are on the lookout for the two, who went absconding immediately after the parents lodged complaints against Jagannathan (48) and Punita (32).

On information that a body was floating in the well in Alangulam, local police rushed to the spot and were able to identify it as that of Jagannathan.

In the backdrop of the reports that the hostel was run without valid licence, police are probing the matter, including whether Jagannathan had committed suicide, fell under the influence of liquor or whether it was a case of murder, police said.

The body will be brought to the city after postmortem, they said.