Domestic help behind J-K DG (Prisons)'s murder arrested; initial probe doesn't point towards terror angle, say police

PTI

Jammu, October 4

Police on Tuesday said initial investigation into the murder of Jammu and Kashmir's Director General (Prisons) Hemant Kumar Lohia here did not point towards the terror angle.

The domestic help, who has emerged as the main suspect, has been arrested and is being questioned, police said. He was arrested from a field in Kanhachak area.

Lohia was found murdered at his house on the outskirts of Jammu on Monday night.

Terror group People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) claimed responsibility for his murder, which took place at a time when Union Home Minister Amit Shah is on a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir.

Officials said the suspected culprit, Yasir Lohar (23), is a resident of Halla-Dhandrath village in Ramban district.

Director General of Police Dilbag Singh described the incident as "extremely unfortunate".

Singh said the suspect had even tried to set ablaze the body of 57-year-old Lohia, who was promoted and appointed as Director General of Prisons in the Union Territory in August.

Additional Director General of Police, Jammu zone, Mukesh Singh, who visited the house of Lohia at Udaiwala on the outskirts of Jammu, said the 1992-batch IPS officer was found dead on Monday night, with burns on his body and his throat slit.

A preliminary examination of the crime scene indicated that Lohia must have been applying some oil on his foot which showed swelling. The killer suffocated Lohia to death and also used a broken ketchup bottle to slit his throat and later tried to set the body afire, he said.

The guards present at the house saw the fire inside his room. They had to break open the door as it was locked from inside, the ADGP said.

He said the preliminary examination of the scene of crime pointed towards murder.

Jammu and Kashmir Police expressed grief over the death of the senior officer, he added.

The ADGP said the CCTV footage collected from the incident site showed the accused running away after committing the crime.

“Lohar was working in the house for nearly six months. Initial investigation revealed that he was quite aggressive in his behaviour and was also under depression,” he said.

Terror group PAFF claimed that its “special squad” carried out the “intelligence-based operation” to target the high-value target.

“This is just the beginning of such high-profile operations just to warn this Hindutva regime and its collaborators that we can strike anytime and anywhere with precision. This is a small gift to their visiting home minister amid such a security grid. God willing we will continue such operations in future,” the PAFF said in a statement online.

However, ADGP Singh said no terror link had come to the fore as per the initial investigation.

“A thorough probe is on to rule out any possibility. The weapon has been seized besides some documentary evidence showing the domestic help's mental state,” he said.

Officials said the body of the deceased officer was sent to Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu, for post-mortem. (With inputs from our correspondent)

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.