Jammu: The domestic help accused of murdering DG Prisons Hemant Kumar Lohia has been arrested from Kana Chak area of Jammu after nightlong searches, police said today.
The helper, identified as Yasir Ahmad (23), a resident of Halla village of Ramban, was hiding in fields in Kana Chak, said an official.
“In a major manhunt by J&K police throughout the night, the accused involved in the murder case of Hemant Lohia has been apprehended. The interrogation of the accused has started, said ADGP Jammu Zone, Mukesh Singh.
Lohia was found dead at his residence in the outskirts of Jammu on Monday night. There were burn injuries and his throat was slit, officials said.
Director General of Police Dilbag Singh described the incident as “extremely unfortunate” .
Giving details, Singh told PTI news agency 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.
The officials said raids were conducted by special teams at different places to trace the domestic help, whose last location was found in the higher reaches of Udhampur district.
The ADGP said the CCTV footage collected from the incident site shows the suspected 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, as police shared his pictures and sought the help of the public in the arrest of the accused.
ADGP Singh said no terror link has come to the fore as per the initial investigation.
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 removed to Government Medical College (GMC) hospital Jammu for post-mortem.