Jammu and Kashmir's Director General (Prisons) Hemant K Lohia was found murdered at his residence in Jammu in mysterious circumstances on Monday night. According to preliminary investigations, police suspect his domestic help as the main culprit, reported news agency PTI.
Describing the incident as "extremely unfortunate", the Director General of Police Dilbag Singh said a manhunt has been launched to nab the absconding domestic help identified as Jasir.
According to Singh, the suspect also attempted to set ablaze the body of 57-year-old Lohia, who was appointed Director General of prisons in the Union Territory in August, reported PTI.
The dead body of Lohia, a 1992-batch IPS officer, had burn injuries and his throat was slit, said Additional Director General of Police, Jammu zone, Mukesh Singh who visited the house after the incident at Udaiwala on the outskirts of Jammu.
According to preliminary examination Lohia was first suffocated by the accused who later slit his throat using a ketchup bottle and tried to set the body on fire, the police chief said, as reported by PTI.
The guards present at the residence of the officer came to know about the incident after they saw fire inside Lohia's room. The door had to be broken by the guards to enter the room as it was locked from inside, said the police chief Dilbag Singh.
The ADGP said the preliminary examination of the scene of crime points towards murder.
"The domestic help is absconding. A search for him has started," he said, adding forensic and crime teams are on the spot.
"The investigation process has begun. Senior officers are on the spot," the officer said, adding the J&K Police family expresses grief and deep sorrow over the death of their senior officer
(With agency inputs)