Police rule out militant angle in Lohia murder, charge sheet cites personal grudge

Jammu, Jan 15, KNT: Ruling out any militant angle in the sensational murder of former Jammu and Kashmir prisons director general H K Lohia in October last year, police said the accused acted out of “deep grudges” against authority figures, according to findings in the charge sheet filed by the Crime Branch.

The conclusion comes after a detailed investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which examined multiple angles, including claims made by a little-known militant outfit, ultimately finding no evidence of any militant link.

Officials said the accused, identified as Yassir Ahmad, was driven by perceived grievances, particularly related to what he believed were unfulfilled assurances of a government job in return for his services as a domestic help.

“The investigation, including narco analysis, indicated that the accused felt betrayed and harboured deep resentment towards high-ranking officials,” an official said.

The killing of Lohia, a 1992-batch IPS officer, had triggered widespread concern after the Peoples Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) claimed responsibility. Police, however, dismissed the claim during the probe, describing it as an attempt by such groups to take credit without basis.

During the course of investigation, officials said, the SIT mapped the movements and background of the accused over the preceding two years after he left his home in Ramban district. No evidence linking him to any militant organization was found.

The charge sheet states that Ahmad viewed Lohia as a “symbol of authority” and attacked him with a sharp-edged weapon before attempting to destroy evidence by setting the body on fire using petrol.

Police said the accused was booked under sections related to murder, destruction of evidence and provisions of the Arms Act.

Investigators also examined claims that Ahmad attempted suicide after the crime, but said this aspect could not be conclusively corroborated during the probe.

Lohia was found dead at his residence on the outskirts of Jammu on October 3, and the accused, aged 23, was arrested the following day after fleeing the scene.

Officials said the investigation relied on a range of evidence, including oral, documentary, circumstantial and technical inputs, along with expert analysis.

The case, initially registered on October 3, was later transferred to the Crime Branch, which filed the charge sheet in court after over two months of investigation.

The findings bring clarity to a case that had initially raised fears of a possible militant link, with investigators concluding that the motive was rooted in personal grievance rather than organised militancy. [KNT]