The City police are going after a construction labourer who went missing after his wife was found strangled at a makeshift shed at Bande Hosur village near here, on Tuesday.

Priya, 23, was found dead by her co-workers and her husband, Vishveshwara, 28, went missing. “We suspect that Priya was strangled by her husband with a piece of cloth,” a senior police officer said.

The couple, who hail from a border town of Tamil Nadu, had joined work to construct a temple at Bande Hosur village one-and-a-half month ago, their supervisor said. They were provided with a makeshift shed behind the under-construction temple and had been staying there ever since.

The couple had reported for work on Tuesday afternoon, their co-workers told the police. They went for lunch at 3 pm and didn’t return.

Their absence was soon noticed and one of the co-workers was sent to enquire about them. Upon reaching the shed, the worker found that the door was left ajar and Priya was lying dead on the floor.

The Bagalur police were called. Police suspect Vishveshwara strangled Priya and fled. A police source quoted the neighbours as saying that the couple were alcoholic and often quarrelled over petty issues. They were drunk on Tuesday too.