J&K SPO murder case cracked: Father-son duo arrested, cops hint at land dispute

Jammu-Kashmir Police has cracked the murder case of a special police officer (SPO) in Kishtwar district, as they have arrested a man and his son as the suspects behind the alleged killing. Police say that a land dispute between the parties may have been the motive behind the murder.The arrests came after the SPO, Bashir Ahmad, was reported missing with his service weapon before his body was recovered from a pit in a forest area on October 16.The accused, identified as Bashir Ahmed Dar and his son Nazir Ahmed Dar, are residents of Seran Wani in the Trigam area. According to police, both men are distant relatives of the deceased and had reportedly been involved in a land dispute with him for some time.A police spokesperson said the two suspects were picked up for questioning, which allegedly revealed the conspiracy and motive behind the murder. The weapon used in the crime and the deceased officer’s concealed belongings were also recovered following disclosures made by the accused, police said.SPO WENT MISSING WITH SERVICE GUNAccording to officials, Bashir Ahmad was reported missing by his family members on October 15 after he failed to return home from the Trigam police picket with his service weapon. The 54-year-old officer was posted at the Pedil police post and had reportedly left for home on Thursday morning.Following the missing report, Kishtwar Police launched an intensive search operation involving multiple teams to trace the officer and his weapon.During the search on October 16, police first recovered the officer’s service weapon from the forest area. His body was subsequently found buried in a pit in a nallah in the Seran Wani area of Trigam forest, near his residence.Ahmad’s body bore throat-cut injuries, according to the initial reports. A forensic team was also deployed to collect evidence from the scene, while officials had earlier said the exact cause of death would be established after the post-mortem examination.INVESTIGATION UNDERWAYFollowing the recovery of the body, a case under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with murder, was registered at Kishtwar Police Station.Police said questioning of the two accused helped investigators establish the suspected motive and circumstances surrounding the killing.The recovery of the weapon of offence and the deceased’s concealed belongings is being treated as a significant development in the investigation.With both accused in custody, further proceedings are underway to establish the full sequence of events and gather additional evidence.Police are expected to pursue the investigation to determine the precise circumstances of the alleged murder and the role of the accused.- EndsWith PTI inputs