The owner of the boat that capsized on Sunday evening, which resulted in the death of 22 people, including 15 children, was caught from the Kozhikode beach area of the district on Monday, police said.
The capture of the boat owner, Nasar, was confirmed by a senior police officer of Malappuram district.
"He has been caught from the Calicut (Kozhikode) beach area. He has not been arrested formally. He will be brought here (Malappuram)," the officer said.
According to Tanur police, in whose jurisdiction the tragic incident occurred, the owner of the boat had been absconding.
A case was registered on Sunday itself against the owner of the boat, which reportedly did not have a licence to function, police said earlier.
The boat capsized near an estuary close to the Thoovaltheeram beach in Tanur area around 7.30 pm on Sunday.