Srinagar, July 15 - Asrar Ahmed Dar, the youth whose death had triggered widespread protests in this summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir last week, was murdered by two of his friends, police alleged Wednesday.

Dar had gone missing from his uptown Maisuma home July 3 and his body was recovered from Rainawari locality July 7.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Srinagar) Afadul Mujtaba said Dar's two friends -- Imran and Asim -- had murdered him over a love tangle.

'Dar was in contact with a girl from Delhi through social networking site Facebook and this had resulted in jealousy and heartburn in his friend Imran, who had earlier been dating this girl,' Mujtaba said.

Imran had taken Dar to his house in Ellahi Bagh area where he and Asim hit the youth on the head with an iron rod, Mujtaba alleged.

'Realising that Dar had died, the murderers dumped his body in one of the rooms in the house.