Jammu, Oct 05: No terror angle has emerged during investigation of the murder case of Director General of Police (Prisons) Hemant Kumar Lohia, police said on Wednesday.
Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Jammu zone, Mukesh Singh said the interrogation of the accused is in progress and his disclosures are being corroborated with field investigation.
Kumar, a 1992-batch IPS officer, was found murdered with his throat slit at his friend’s house on the outskirts of Jammu late Monday night.
The accused, 23-year-old Yasir Lohar, who was working as a domestic help at the house, was arrested from a field in Kanhachak on Tuesday following a major manhunt.
“No terror angle has emerged during investigation of the case of murder of H K Lohia. Interrogation of the accused is in progress. His disclosures are being corroborated with field investigation,” the ADGP said in a statement.
Terror group People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) had claimed responsibility for the murder. However, Director General of Police Dilbag Singh, who visited the crime scene on Tuesday, had told reporters that “these terror groups shamelessly own everything and anything”.
The body of the slain officer was handed over to his family for last rites after completion of legal and medical formalities, officials said.
Later, a coffin carrying the mortal remains of the officer and wrapped in the Tricolour, was taken to police lines Jammu, where a wreath laying ceremony was held to pay homage to him.
Senior police officers, his batchmates including Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), STF, Punjab Harpreet Singh Sidhu, and civil officers turned up and offered floral tributes to the departed officer. Hundreds of people joined them in paying their last respects.
His family members including wife Madhu Lohia, daughter and son were present at the wreath laying ceremony, which witnessed emotional scenes as many of his relatives broke down. His wife controlled her emotions and was heard telling the ADGP headquarters M K Sinha she will not cry.
“It is a very unfortunate incident as we have lost a dynamic and courageous officer. His departure is a big loss for the J&K police and the nation as a whole and the void left by him is impossible to be fulfilled,” Sidhu told reporters.
After the wreath laying ceremony, the mortal remains of the officer were taken to the Jogi gate crematorium. The body was consigned to the flames amid a gun salute.
