The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday said that their investigation into the murder of Director General (prisons) Hemant K Lohia does not point to any terror link, even as a militant outfit apparently claimed responsibility for the act, PTI reported.
The police also said they have arrested Lohia’s 23-year-old domestic worker, Yasir Lohar, who is the prime suspect in the case.
Lohia was found dead at his home in Jammu on Monday night. According to the police, his throat was slit. Director General of Police Dilbag Singh told PTI that the suspect had tried to burn Lohia’s body.
“Lohar was working in the house for nearly six months,” Singh said. “Initial investigation revealed that he was quite aggressive in his behaviour and was also under depression.”
Additional Director General of Police, Jammu zone, Mukesh Singh, said that CCTV footage collected from Lohia’s house shows the suspect running away.
Meanwhile, terror group People’s Anti-Fascist Front claimed the responsibility for Lohia’s murder, Reuters reported.
“Our special squad carried out an intelligence based operation in Udaiwala, Jammu, eliminating DG of police, prisons department HK Lohia, a high value target,” the People’s Anti-Fascist Front said in a statement.
The outfit also said that the murder was the beginning of high-profile operations and a warning to the Hindutva regime.
It added that Lohia’s killing was a “small gift” to Home Minister Amit Shah, who is in Kashmir with his “security grid” till Wednesday.
Reuters, however, said it could not immediately verify the authenticity of the statement.
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