Intelligence Bureau officer found dead in remote Chamba area
Chamba, June 12
In a shocking crime incident, Junior Intelligence Officer of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) was found dead at Kihar, a border town in the Salooni subdivision of Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh.
Suspect being quizzed
- The SP said the police had apprehended one suspect, a dhaba owner, in connection with the crime
- Preliminary findings suggest that an argument erupted between the victim and the accused. The suspect is currently under interrogation
The victim identified as Arun Kumar, hailing from Jogindernagar of Mandi district and posted at Kihar for more than two-and-a-half years, was discovered with a fatal head injury on the roadside in the local market, approximately 100 m away from the Kihar police station.
Upon receiving news of the murder, Salooni Sub-divisional Police Officer (DSP), Ranjan Sharma along with Sub divisional Magistrate Naveen Kumar rushed to the spot. Chamba Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek Yadav too arrived at the crime scene.
Yadav said that police have apprehended one suspect, a dhaba owner, in connection with the crime. Preliminary findings suggest that an argument erupted between the victim and the accused while they were consuming drinks at the dhaba. The suspect is currently under interrogation. The police have secured the crime scene while a team of forensic experts had been called to collect vital evidence.
Yadav said initial investigations and eyewitness’ accounts suggest that the two were seen together, consuming alcohol, on Tuesday night and no third person was with them. However, investigations are ongoing, and additional arrests may follow.
Kihar, about 65 km district headquarters Chamba, borders Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a crime-prone area. Last year, the quaint hill town shot into limelight when a 21-year-old youth was murdered. His body, chopped into pieces, was found dumped in a stream.
The gruesome crime had flared up communal tension in the area. The police had arrested more than a dozen people of a family for the crime. A mob had later burnt down the house of the accused family.
