DHAKA: Malaysian police have searched the homes of the pilots of the Malaysia Airlines plane that vanished eight days ago with 239 people on board.

The police are also reportedly looking at family life and psychological state of pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah, 53, and co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27.

This comes after the authorities said the communications systems of the plane had been deliberately disabled, reports BBC.

The Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight is believed to have then changed course.

The hijacking theory, previously largely discounted, has now climbed back up the list of possible explanations for flight MH370`s disappearance. The aircraft`s communications systems were deliberately switched off in mid-air, so either the flight crew did this willingly, or they were forced by someone else to do so.

This has refocused attention on the individuals on that flight, both passengers and crew. Investigators will want to know if any had a recent history of mental problems, family difficulties or extreme stress. Only four weeks ago an Ethiopian Airlines co-pilot hijacked his own plane to seek political asylum in Switzerland. The pilot of this Malaysian plane had a commendable record but the authorities have still raided his home.

When it comes to terrorism, there are no obvious suspects. The region`s Jemaah Islamiah, once a powerful transnational terrorist group, is not thought to have the capability to carry out such a plan. Likewise there are doubts Chinese separatists could be behind it. There have also been no claims by any known group, though this does not rule out a possible criminal motive.

According to satellite evidence, the Boeing 777 could have continued flying for a further seven hours after its last radar contact, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said.

He added that the plane could be anywhere from Kazakhstan to the Indian Ocean.

Mr Razak stopped short of saying it was a hijacking, saying only that they were investigating "all possibilities".

In a separate development, India on Sunday suspended its search for the plane around the remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands and also in the Bay of Bengal.

Delhi said it acted at the request of the Malaysian authorities.

China - which had 153 citizens on board flight MH370 - has urged Malaysia to continue providing it with "thorough and exact information" on the search.

BDST: 1215  HRS, MAR 16 , 2014