The body of former Sikkim minister RC Poudyal was found in a canal near Siliguri in West Bengal nine days after he went missing, police said on Wednesday.

The body of Poudyal, 80, was found floating in the Teesta Canal at Fulbari on Tuesday, they said.

"Prima facie, it is suspected that the body might have been brought down by the Teesta river from upstream. The identification was made through the watch and the clothes he was wearing," a police officer said.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted to search for the veteran politician after he went missing on July 7 from his hometown of Chota Singtam in Pakyong district, police said.

"The investigation into the death will continue," the officer said.

Poudyal was the deputy speaker in the first Sikkim assembly and later became the state's forest minister.

He was considered a pivotal figure in the Himalayan state's political landscape during the late '70s and '80s, founding the Rising Sun Party. He was also known for his profound understanding of Sikkim's cultural and social dynamics.

"I am deeply saddened by the sudden demise of the Late Shri RC Poudyal Jyu, a statesman and distinguished senior political leader who had served the Sikkim Government in various capacities, including as a minister, and was the leader of the Jhulke Gham Party," Chief Minister PS Tamang said.

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