SRINAGAR: Police on Tuesday said domestic helper is the main accused in the murder of Jammu and Kashmir's Director General of Prisons, H K Lohia and released his pictures and sough public help in tracing him.
The militant outfit People's Anti-Fascist Force (PAFF), which is said to be an off-shoot of Pakistan-based militant ouftit Jaish-e-Mohammad, claimed responsibility for the murder of the top cop.
Lohia, who was appointed as DG Prisons on August 3 this year, was found murdered in his home at Udhewala area of Jammu yesterday evening.
He was a 1992-batch IPS officer.
After murder of the DG Prisons, forensic teams reached the crime spot to collect samples and evidences. The top police officials also visited the spot to take stock of the situation to start the investigation into the murder of the top cop.
ADGP Jammu Mukesh Singh in statement today said as per initial investigation, it has come to fore that one domestic helper Yasir Ahmed R/o Ramban district of J&K is the main accused in the murder.
He said some CCTV footage collected from the incident site also shows the suspected accused running away after commission of this crime.
Yasir, according to police, was working in Lohia’s house for about 6 months.
The outfit claimed that “Our special squad carried out the operation. It is just a beginning of such high profile operations just to warn this Hindutva regime and its collaborators that we can strike anytime and anywhere with precision (sic).
“This is a ‘small gift’ to the visiting Home Minister amid such a security grid (sic),” the outfit claimed in the statement.
However, the claim of the militant outfit could not be independently verified.
Lohia's murder took place hours after Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Jammu on three-day visit of Jammu and Kashmir.
Shah would be visiting Vaishno Devi shrine today and also address a public rally in Rajouri. He will also address a public rally in Baramulla in north Kashmir tomorrow. Besides, he would also be reviewing the security situation and developmental scenario of J&K during his meeting with top security and civil officials.
“The initial investigation reveals that he was quite aggressive in his behaviour and was also under depression as per sources,” it said.
The weapon of offence has been seized besides some documentary evidence reflecting his mental state, police said.
According to police statement, so far no terror act is apparent as per Initial investigation but thorough probe is on to rule out any possibility.
Police also released photographs of the suspected accused and sought public support in tracing him.
“Anyone who gets any information about him or he is seen anywhere, the information must be shared with police on phone numbers,” police urged people.
Meanwhile, the militant outfit People's Anti-Fascist Force (PAFF), which is said to be an off-shoot of Pakistan-based militant ouftit Jaish-e-Mohammad, claimed responsibility for the murder of the top cop.
The outfit claimed that “Our special squad carried out the operation. It is just a beginning of such high profile operations just to warn this Hindutva regime and its collaborators that we can strike anytime and anywhere with precision (sic).
“This is a ‘small gift’ to the visiting Home Minister amid such a security grid (sic),” the outfit claimed in the statement.
However, the claim of the militant outfit could not be independently verified.
Lohia's murder took place hours after Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Jammu on three-day visit of Jammu and Kashmir.
Shah would be visiting Vaishno Devi shrine today and also address a public rally in Rajouri. He will also address a public rally in Baramulla in north Kashmir tomorrow. Besides, he would also be reviewing the security situation and developmental scenario of J&K during his meeting with top security and civil officials.