Prisons Chief Hemant Kumar Lohia, killed in Jammu, PAFF claim responsibility

Hemant Kumar Lohia, the director general of police (DGP) of Jammu and Kashmir Prisons Department, was found dead at his friend’s residence on Monday. While the police have launched an investigation into the incident, there were suspicions that he was murdered.

The People’s Anti-Fascist Force (PAFF), a terror outfit backed by Lashkar-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility for the killing.

In a press release, the terror outfit said, “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 PAFF has further said that it carried out all recent terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, including attacks on non-locals, and has threatened to carry out more such high-profile operations.

“This is a small gift to their visiting Home Minister amid such a security grid,” the PAFF said, referring to Amit Shah who is on a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir.

According to the official police report, Lohia was found with his throat slit open. He was currently staying at his friend Rajiv Khajuria’s house in Jammu as his own house was under renovation.

The body has been sent for post-mortem examination, the ADGP further said as quoted by PTI.

Lohia, a 1992 batch IPS officer, was posted at the DGP prisons in August.

Meanwhile, Domestic help held for DGP’s murder, police rule out terror angle. The police on Tuesday arrested Yasir Ahmed (23) for the murder of DGP (Prisons) Hemant Kumar Lohia. Ahmed, a domestic help, allegedly murdered Lohia after stabbing him multiple times using a broken glass bottle and slitting his throat. He later tried to burn the body by putting afire a pillow. An IPS officer of the 1992 batch, Lohia (57) hailed from Assam.

Yasir Ahmed, a resident of Ramban district, was hiding in fields in Kanachak area from where he was apprehended. The police are interrogating him.

Lohia was residing in Udheywala at the house of his friend Rajiv Khajuria for a few days as his official residence was under renovation. Yasir was the domestic help of Khajuria.

The police said Lohia, after having dinner, went to his room and asked Yasir to apply cream on his foot having swelling. “While applying cream, Yasir locked the door from inside and attacked Lohia,” said DGP Dilbag Singh who was at the spot. Yasir fled from the back door of the room. Lohia’s security guards saw smoke billowing out of the room and rushed inside. It is not clear as to how they couldn’t see Yasir fleeing.

The family members and another domestic help tried to open the door after they heard the victim’s screams. Till the time they succeeded, Lohia had died.

“This is a very unfortunate incident in which a domestic help, who is a trusted person, was involved in such an incident. We are investigating the matter,” said the DGP. He said terrorist groups were claiming the responsibility, but “we are ruling it out for the time being”. A terror group, People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), has claimed the responsibility.

“There’s nothing to indicate involvement of any terror group. The terror angle is being ruled out for the time being. But if such a thing comes to light, we will look into it,” he said.

Yasir was seen running out of the house in a CCTV footage. “He had been working in the house for nearly six months. Initial investigation reveals that he was quite aggressive and was also under depression,” ADGP Mukesh Singh said. The weapon of offence and some documentary evidence reflecting his mental state have been seized.

Another domestic help, Mohinder Singh, said he heard the distressed voice. “I ran towards the room and saw Rajiv and other family members trying to open the door at around 10 pm,” he said.

The body was shifted to the Government Medical College, Jammu, for a postmortem examination. The cremation will take place at the Jogi-Gate cremation ground in Jammu at 2:30 pm on Wednesday.

The police, while releasing the accused’s pictures, urged the people not to spread uncorroborated information regarding the murder.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said Hemant Lohia was an outstanding police officer and a great human being.

The deceased is survived by his wife, who was in the same house when the unfortunate incident took place, a daughter and a son, who he was planning to get married in December.

After the murder on Monday night, raids were conducted by special teams at different places including the domestic help’s home town in Halla-Dhandrath village in Ramban district where some persons, including his fiancée, were detained for questioning.