Police arrest suspect in journalist Bukhari's killing

Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday detained a suspect in veteran journalist Shujaat Bukhari's murder case.

Police also recovered the pistol stolen by the suspect from one of the slain guards of Bukhari. “The suspect was seen picking up the pistol of the injured cop from the scene of crime. He has been identified as Zubair Qayoom of Saderabal (Srinagar),” Inspector General Police (IGP) Kashmir, Swam Prakash Pani told reporters. The pistol has been recovered.

"The investigation is under way. It is a terror-related crime," the IGP said.

Bukhari, the editor of local English daily Rising Kashmir, was killed by three bike-borne assailants on Thursday. Police had released the images of the three, but their faces were not visible. While the biker was wearing a helmet, one of the pillion riders had a face mask. The third assailant hadn't covered his face, but was leaning towards the other side to avoid CCTV.

Pani said the complicity of the man arrested on Friday is being investigated. The CCTV footage apparently showed him trying to help the injured cop in Bukhari's vehicle. But he picked up a pistol and escaped from right under the nose of police.

Earlier on Friday, thousands of mourners joined the funeral procession of Bukhari at his ancestral village Kreeri in north Kashmir's Baramulla district.