Five people have been taken into custody in connection with the suspected murder of an unidentified man whose body was found near Moolathara dam here two days ago, the police said on Tuesday.

The deceased was suspected to be a beggar, and efforts were on to establish his identity, they said.

Local residents found the man dead under suspicious circumstances on Sunday morning. A post-mortem examination at Thrissur Medical College Hospital revealed signs of murder, the police said.

The incident is suspected to be a case of mob lynching, though this is yet to be confirmed, police sources said.

Based on circumstantial evidence, the Meenakshipuram police launched a detailed investigation and took five persons into custody. Their interrogation is under way, they added.