J&K DG Prisons HK Lohia's killer arrested within 24 hours; interrogation underway [details]

Soon after the shocking murder of Hemant Kumar Lohia, Director General, Prisons, by his own domestic help on Monday, the J&K Police launched a massive manhunt for the accused throughout the night. The police was able to arrest Yasir Ahmed within 24 hours of the heinous crime and the accused is being interrogated by the police.

Dilbag Singh, DGP (J&K) said while the investigation was going on, so far the terrorist angle to this murder was ruled out.

The police had also released the photographs of the accused and put out phone numbers for sharing any information about him.

"In the initial investigation into the incident of death of DG Prisons, HK Lohia, it has come to fore that one domestic helper Yasir Ahmed resident of Ramban is the main accused," police said. "Some CCTV footage collected from the incident site also shows the suspected accused running away after commission of this crime."

HK Lohia's murder

Police said Ahmed was working in this house for nearly six months, and added that the initial investigation also revealed that he was quite aggressive in his behaviour and was under depression.

"So far no terror act is apparent as per initial investigation, but a thorough probe is on to rule out any possibility. The weapon of offence has been seized besides some documentary evidence reflecting his mental state," police said.

Lohia was found dead under mysterious circumstances at his Jammu residence, the police said on Tuesday. Lohia was an IPS officer of the 1992 batch and was a native of Assam.

Police sources said the throat-slit body of the senior IPS officer was allegedly found at his residence in Jammu city.