A 66-year-old city businessman who left his south Calcutta home early on Sunday for his daily walk did not return home and was allegedly spotted jumping from the Howrah-bound flank of Vidyasagar Setu, police said.

A body was recovered from the Hooghly banks on Sunday evening.

The police said the wife of Shravan Kumar Birla, the missing businessman, identified the body as that of her husband.

Birla’s car was found on the bridge with the key hanging from the ignition and the driver’s door was open.

An officer said he was seen jumping off the bridge on Sunday morning.

One of his acquaintances who visited Hastings police station later in the day, after the car was spotted on the bridge and towed away, ruled out chances of Birla having been depressed.

He said: “He (Birla) was fine. He had left home around 5.30am.”

An officer of Hastings police station said Birla had recovered from an ailment a few weeks ago.

The Telegraph could not speak with the family to verify the information.

The police said Birla ran an automobile parts company from an office on Prinsep Street.

Officers of Hastings police station had launched a search in the Hooghly and areas where Birla could have visited after stepping out of his home on Karaya Road.

A team of disaster management group and personnel from the river traffic police were deployed to carry out the search in the river.

Traffic police officers said an empty Honda Fit was spotted on the bridge on Sunday morning. They found out the owner’s name from the registration plate and the family was alerted.

Sources said CCTV camera footage was being scanned to track the car's movement before it headed for Vidyasagar Setu.