Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir's Director General (Prisons) Hemant K. Lohia was found murdered at his residence here on Monday night.

A 23-year-old working as a domestic help was arrested on Tuesday. Yasir Lohar's arrest followed a major all-night manhunt, police said in a statement, adding that his interrogation had begun.

Director General of Police Dilbag Singh had earlier described the death as an "extremely unfortunate" incident.

He was arrested from a field in Kanhachak area. Lohar is a resident of Halla-Dhandrath village in Ramban district.

Giving details, Singh told PTI that the suspect had even attempted to set ablaze the body of 57-year-old Lohia, who was promoted and appointed as Director General of prisons in the Union Territory in August.

Additional Director General of Police, Jammu zone, Mukesh Singh, who visited the house at Udaiwala on the outskirts of Jammu, said Lohia, a 1992-batch IPS officer, was found dead with burn injuries on his body and his throat slit.

A preliminary examination of the crime scene indicated that Lohia must have been applying some oil on his foot which showed some swelling. The killer had first suffocated Lohia to death and also used a broken ketchup bottle to slit his throat and later tried to set the body on fire, the police chief said.

The guards present at the residence of the officer saw the fire inside Lohia's room. They had to break open the door as it was locked from inside, he said.

The ADGP said the preliminary examination of the scene of crime points towards murder.

(With PTI inputs)

Note: This report has been updated since publication with news of the arrest.

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