Mentally disabled man shot dead by Army sentry in J-K

A mentally disabled man was allegedly shot dead by an Army sentry in the early hours of Saturday when he ignored his warnings and walked towards an Army camp in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

A security guard at the Army camp shot at Rayees Ahmad Wani at 3 am, they said. Police said they have taken cognisance of the killing and a probe into the matter is underway. Army and defence officials said they were ascertaining the circumstances which led to Wani's death.

According to sources, Wani had crossed the perimeter fencing and was walking towards the camp wall when the sentry challenged him. When Wani failed to pay heed to his verbal warning, the soldier fired in the air in a vain attempt to desist him, the sources said, adding that the sentry then shot at him, leading to his death.

Meanwhile, family members of the deceased staged a dharna, demanding action against the security guard responsible for Wani's death.