Highlights
- Lohia's domestic help was found missing after the police visited the crime spot
- Police said the suspect had even attempted to set ablaze the body of Lohia
- In a statement, police said they could not establish any terror angle in the case
Jammu and Kashmir: A 23-year-old boy working as domestic help for Jammu and Kashmir Director General (Prisons) Hemant K Lohia was on Tuesday arrested in connection with the latter's murder.
According to the police, the accused was identified as Yasir Lohar.
Police said Lohar was arrested from a field in the Kanhachak area after a major all-night manhunt. Interrogations with him in the case have begun.
Lohar is a resident of Halla-Dhandrath village in Ramban district.
JK DG (Prison) Hemant Lohia found dead: Police statement
Lohia was found dead at his residence on the outskirts of Jammu on Monday night. There were burn injuries and his throat was slit, officials said.
Additional Director General of Police, Jammu zone, Mukesh Singh visited the deceased's house and found his domestic help was missing. Talking to the media, Singh termed the helper 'main accused' in the case.
"Initial investigation reveals that he was quite aggressive in his behaviour and was also under depression as per sources," ADGP Jammu Mukesh Singh said.
"The weapon of offence has been seized besides some documentary evidence reflecting his mental state," he said.
Officials said a preliminary examination of the crime scene 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 guards present at the residence of the officer saw fire inside Lohia's room. They had to break open the door as it was locked from inside, he said.
Upon visiting Lohia's residence, the ADGP said the preliminary examination of the scene of crime points towards murder.
Police say 'no terror act is apparent'
According to reports, Pakistan-backed terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM)'s affiliate People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) claimed the responsibility for the killing of Jammu and Kashmir DGP (Prisons Department) Hemant Kumar Lohia.
A statement, which was believed to have been issued by the terror group, was circulating on social media post Lohia's murder.
However, Additional Director General of Police, Jammu zone, Mukesh Singh said no terror act is apparent as per the Initial investigation.
"So far no terror act is apparent as per the initial investigation but a thorough probe is on to rule out any possibility," he said.
Meanwhile, Director General of Police Dilbag Singh described it as an "extremely unfortunate" incident.
Giving details, Singh said 57-year-old Lohia was promoted and appointed as Director General of prisons in the Union Territory in August.
(With inputs from PTI)
