Police have arrested four persons, including three constables of Government Railway Force (GRP), over the murder of a youth in Peerbagh area of Srinagar, officials said today.

Owais Bashir Malik was found dead two days after he went missing from his home on January 14.

His death had trigerred massive protests in the uptown Srinagar areas of Peerbagh, Hyderpora and Humhama.

A special investigation team(SIT) headed by Syed Fayaz Ahmad, SDPO Magam  was constiuted under the overall supervision of SSP Budgam to investigate the case in a time bound manner.

"During investigation, it came to fore that for the last about one year the said Owais Bashir Malik was in contact with a person namely Ishaan Majeed S/O Ab. Majeed Peerzada R/O Bandipora, presently at Barzullah Srinagar," said a police spokesman.

He said Ishaan would pose and act like a girl by the name Umaira R/O Wanbal Nowgam and both would talk for hours together mostly during the night hours. 

"Ishaan (Umaira) would also talk at times with family members including the sisters of the Owais as also with his cousin namely Tanveer Ahmad Bhat S/O Noor Mohammad Bhat R/O Galwanpora Budgam.

"Owais would press Ishaan (Umaira) for a meet which was usually avoided by the later. However, on 12-01-2016, Owais pressed very hard for a meet and Ishaan (Umaira) agreed to meet on the Railway Track at Peerbagh. Ishaan (Umaira) divulged before the deceased that it was he who was posing as a girl. This infuriated Owais and both had a scuffle."

Owais was badly injured in the scuffle, said the spokesman.

"Ishaan (Umaira) got better of the Owais and brought him down on the ground over the Railway Track and also kicked him repeatedly. This injured Owais badly and he roled down into the gorge. Thinking that Owais was dead, Ishaan (Umaira) left for his home and subsequently to his aunt’s house at Bandipora. The two sims through which he used to talk with Owais were broken by him and thrown into a Nalla and thus tried to destroy the evidence," said the spokesman.

The investigation team, he added, had a tough time since the place where the dead body was recovered near the Railway bridge was at a distance from the place where both had a scuffle. 

"It was found that in the evening of 12-01-2016, One constable of GRP did find some blood stains on the soil  and noticed a human body in the shallow waters down the track. He did not inform the Police and instead planned to dispose off the body to a place away from track with his other two collegues. The three persons of GRP namely Manzoor Ahmad R/O Chadoora, Mohammad Ayoub R/O Humhama and Noor Mohammad R/O Khansahib picked the dead body and placed it away from the track near the Railway bridge at Peerbagh. 

"The main accused Ishaan Majeed S/O Peerzada Ab. Majeed R/O Bandipora at present Barzullah has been arrested in this case alongwith the three employees of GRP. Further investigation is in progress," he said.