J&K DG Murder Case: Police Nabs 23 Years Old House Help

With a manhunt that was carried throughout the night, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested 23 year old Yasir Lohar accused of killing the Director General (Prisons) Hemant K Loha at his residence. Yasir was arrested from a field in Kanhachak area. 

The young accused is a resident of Halla-Dhandrath village in Ramban district

Meanwhile People's Anti Fscist Front (PAFF) claimed the responsibility of the murder. However, the primary investigation of police couldn't find any terror links. 

Yasir is now questioned regarding his role in the murder, said Assistant Director General of Police (ADGP) Mukesh Singh. 

The police have recovered the murder weapon and “a diary of the accused." The police said that the dairy reflects his depressed mental state. According to police he has been working at Lohia's place for the lst six months. 

“Ajit Khajuria was a friend of Mr Lohia. Mr Lohia had been living in his house for the past few days. After having dinner he (H K Lohia) went to his bedroom. This boy, who was working as his domestic help, was also in his (DG’s) room. Mr Lohia had suffered a foot injury and this boy was there to put an ointment on his wound. Suddenly he (domestic servant) bolted the door from inside and attacked him,” the DG Jammu and Kashmir Dibagh Singh told media persons in Jammu. He added that the domestic help repeatedly attacked the DG Prisons with a sharp-edged weapon and later put a pillow on fire to suffocate him.

“The other members of the family tried to break the door of the room to enter the room but till then he had succumbed to his injuries,” the DGP said.

“It is very unfortunate that a domestic help, who is a trusted person, has done it. We have got a relevant clue that shows his state of mind was very different. He had past history of being aggressive. And we are investigating the matter,” added the DGP. 

Murder of DG (Prisons), Jammu & Kashmir 

Jammu and Kashmir's Director General (Prisons) Hemant K Lohia was found dead under suspicious circumstances at his friend's residence on Monday night with police suspecting the absconded house help Yasir to be the culprit.

The 1992 batch IPS officer who was posted as DG of Prisons in this August was at his friend Ajit Khajuria's Udheywala house in the outskirts of Jammu when the unfortunate incident happened. 

Director General of Police Dilbag Singh said a manhunt had been launched to nab his domestic help as soon as possible.  

Divulging the details gathered till now Singh said that the suspect had even attempted to set ablaze the body of 57-year-old Lohia. Additional Director General of Police, Jammu zone, Mukesh Singh, who visited the house at Udaiwala on the outskirts of Jammu, however added that the body was found with burn injuries and throat slit.

Reports of the Preliminary Investigation

Preliminary investigation has indicated that Lohia must have been applying some oil on his foot which showed some swelling. The killer had first suffocated Lohia to death and also used a broken ketchup bottle to slit his throat and later tried to set the body on fire.

The first to see the incident happening were the security guards of his residence who jumped in as they found the fire inside Lohia's room. They had to break open the door as it was locked from inside, the Police Chief told the PTI.

The ADGP said the prelimnary investigation of the crime scene points to possible murder. "The domestic help is absconding. A search for him has started," he added. Forensic and crime teams are already in the spot.

"The investigation process has begun. Senior officers are on the spot," said the ADGP.

Primary Reactions

Expressing his shock over the incident the Director General of Police Dilbagh Singh termed it ‘extremely unfortunate’ incident.

From the part of J & K Police family he has expressed his solidarity with the family of the bereaved soul.

Notably, the incident happened when the Union Home Minister Amit Shah is in Kashmir. Shah started his Kashmir trip from Monday.

Though the nature and the motive of the murder is not yet clear, the data available to news agency Kashmir News Trust says already 10 top cops had been killed this year in the region up to August.

(With Agency Inputs)