Man arrested for murder of herb collector

Police today claimed to have cracked the case of murder of a herb collector, who was killed last week in south Kashmir Anantnag district, and arrested the accused.
Police have cracked a blind murder case of a herb collector who was found dead in open fields at Ashmuqam area of the district on November 13, a police spokesman said.
He said police were informed by some locals that the body of a man was lying in an open field near Siligam, which was later identified as that of Buttu Khatana, a resident of Lidru Pahalgam.
Police registered a case and started investigations during which several suspects were questioned, the spokesman said.

He said the investigations zeroed in on a suspect, Firdous Ahmad Bhat, resident of Salia, and during his sustained questioning Bhat confessed to murdering Khatana.
Bhat revealed that the murder was planned by him and he called Khatana to the fields on the pretext of finalising a deal of forest herbs, the spokesman said.
Bhat said Khatana came to the spot with Rs 1.5 lakh rupees and once he had confirmed that Khatana had arranged the money, he attacked him with an axe and decamped with the money, the spokesman said.
He said police have recovered the murder weapon, a mobile phone and Rs 1.5 lakh from Bhat's possession.