DG Prisons found murdered in Jammu
Domestic help prime suspect, held after nigh long manhunt
Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir’s Director General (Prisons) Hemant K Lohia was found murdered at his residence here, police said, asserting that his domestic help has emerged as the main suspect in the case.
Director General of Police Dilbag Singh described the incident as “extremely unfortunate” and said a manhunt was launched to nab the domestic help identified as Yasir Ahmed, who was absconding after the commission of the crime.
Giving details, Singh told PTI that the suspect had even attempted 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 burn injuries 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 residence of the officer 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 points towards murder.
J and K Police family expresses grief and deep sorrow over the death of the senior officer, he added.
Police later said that the 23-year-old man working as a domestic help was arrested from a field in Kanhachak area followed a major all-night manhunt, adding that his interrogation was underway.
Police said initial investigations did not point towards a terror angle.
Though a terror group People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) claimed responsibility for his murder, Director General of Police Dilbag Singh, who visited the crime scene, told reporters “these terror groups shamelessly own everything and anything.
“There was no clue which suggested involvement of any terror group. For the time being, the terror angle is ruled out but if, during investigation, such a thing comes to light, we will see to it,” he said.
The murder of Lohia, who had returned to head the prisons of the union territory, came at a time when Union Home Minister Amit Shah is on a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir.
“In a major manhunt launched by Jammu and Kashmir police throughout the night, the accused involved in murder case of the DG prisons has been apprehended. Interrogation of the accused has started,” Additional Director General of Police, Mukesh Singh said.
Terming it as an unfortunate incident, the police chief said the force has got relevant clues from the scene which indicate that the accused had a history of aggressive behaviour.
He said the suspect had bolted the room from inside when the DGP was rubbing balm on his foot.
The domestic help repeatedly attacked him with a sharp object and even threw a burning pillow towards him in an apparent bid to set ablaze the body of the victim.
The 57-year-old Lohia, who was promoted and appointed as Director General of Prisons in the Union Territory in August, had shifted to his friend’s house only a few days back.
Earlier, the ADGP had said that 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 residence of the officer saw fire inside his room and broke open the door, the ADGP said.
The officials said raids were conducted by special teams at different places including the domestic help’s home town in Halla-Dhandrath village in Ramban district where some persons including his fiancé were detained for questioning.
The ADGP said the CCTV footage collected from the incident site showed the accused running away after the commission of the crime.
“Lohar was working in this house for nearly six months Initial investigation revealed that he was quite aggressive in his behaviour and was also under depression,” he said
“A thorough probe is on to rule out any possibility. The weapon of offence has been seized besides some documentary evidence reflecting his (domestic help’s) mental state,” he said.
Officials said the body of the deceased officer was shifted to the Government Medical College (GMC) hospital Jammu for postmortem.
Sharing some pages from the diary of the accused, a police official said Lohar, a school dropout, was apparently fed up with his life.
Press Trust of India
