A man and his son have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the murder of a special police officer (SPO) in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, with a land dispute suspected to be the motive behind the killing, officials said on Monday.The throat-slit body of the SPO Bashir Ahmad was recovered from a pit in the Seran Wani area of Trigam forest on October 16, a day after he was reported missing along with his service weapon while returning from a local police picket. The weapon of the deceased was also recovered from the forest area.
Following the discovery, a case under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered at Police Station Kishtwar.
A police spokesperson said, "Bashir Ahmed Dar and his son Nazir Ahmed Dar, both residents of Seran Wani, were picked up, and their questioning revealed a conspiracy and motive behind the murder of SPO.
"The weapon of offence and the concealed belongings of the deceased have been recovered on the disclosure of the accused," the spokesperson added.
Police officials said the arrested accused were distant relatives of the SPO and had been embroiled in a land dispute with him for some time.