DG Prison Lohia found murdered, hunt for domestic help launched

Deceased shifted to his friend’s house in Udeywala due to renovation of his house

Jammu: Director General of Police, Prisons department, H K Lohia was found murdered under suspicious circumstances here with police suspecting his domestic help as the culprit, a senior police officer said. The incident took place amid Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir.
Additional Director General of Police, Jammu zone, Mukesh Singh said the domestic help is absconding and a search for him has started.
The 57-year-old Lohia, a 1992 batch IPS officer, was found dead with his throat slit at his Udaiwala residence on the outskirts of Jammu. He was posted at the DGP prisons in August.The ADGP said first examination of the scene of crime reveals this as a suspected murder case.
Official sources said that Lohia was living in Gandhi Nagar area and had recently shifted to the residence of his fast friend Rajiv Khajuria in Udeywala after the estate department started his house’s renovation. They said that Khajuria is running an NGO in Rajouri and was good friend of Lohia. They said that Lohia was living in the first floor of the house and was being massaged by the domestic help namely Yasir of Ramban in a room. Police have suspicion that the domestic help slit his throat and set his body on fire. The reason behind the murder was being ascertained by police. Police have also launched a hunt to arrest the absconding domestic help.
"The domestic help with the officer is absconding. A search for him has started," ADG Mukesh Singh said, adding forensic and crime teams are on the spot.
"The investigation process has begun. Senior officers are on spot," the officer said, adding the J&K Police family expresses grief and deep sorrow over the death of their senior officer.
His body was later taken to the GMC hospital’s mortuary room for post-mortem.