SRINAGAR A mentally unsound man was shot dead by the army at a village in south Kashmir’s Shopian district near the fence of an army camp on Saturday morning, police said.
A police official said that the mentally challenged man tried to walk into the army camp of 34 RR stationed at Pahnoo village of the district around 3 a.m.
He said that a sentry manning a bunker fired some warning shots in the air but the man did not stop.
He then fired some shots upon him, killing him on the spot, he added.
The official identified the slain man as Raies Ahmad Wani, a resident of Begam Kulgam.
Meanwhile, the family members and relatives of the slain reached Shopian and held a sit-in protest along with his body at Batapora Chowk.
They were demanding justice for the slain man and the arrest of erring army personnel.
A family member said that Raies was missing since Friday afternoon.
MLA Kulgam and CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami termed this killing as an unfortunate and condemnable incident.
As per reports the mentally unsound man tried to walk into the army camp of 34 RR stationed at Pahnoo village of the district around 3 AM and the sentry manning a bunker shot him dead. Such incidents are most unfortunate
In the past also such incidents have happened and circumstances of most of these deaths were similar. Draconian laws like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) allow security forces to shoot at anybody merely on the basis of a suspicion.
While expressing solidarity with the bereaved family, he demanded an immediate end to the civilian killings in the Valley and demanded probe into this unfortunate incident, Tarigami said.
Cold Blooded Murder: Geelani
Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman, Syed Ali Geelani on Saturday strongly condemned the killing of mentally challenged person by army at Pehnoo Shopian.
Terming the insane person, Raies Ahmad Wanis killing as a cold-blooded murder, Geelani said the government forces, laced with unbridled powers and impunity under the cover of black laws, are trigger-happy and kill Kashmiris whenever and wherever they wish to, as has been witnessed in the last seven decades.
In a statement issued here, Geelani demanded stringent action against killers and demanded a probe into the killing by world agencies.
Indian forces personnel enjoying unbridled powers under draconian laws were feeling no shame to spill the blood of innocent people.
While extending his heartfelt condolences and sympathies with the family members of slain person, Geelani said: We stand with them and prayed for eternal peace to departed soul.
Rejecting the police version about the killing, the octogenarian leader said these statements are issued to befool people.
Instead of taking any action against killers, confusing statements are issued to save these murderers, he said.
Since there is no accountability, he said, thousands of Kashmiris have been killed in cold-blood and merciless manner and not even a single soldier involved has ever been brought to book or tried under law.
Blaming authorities and government forces for hooliganism, Geelani said that killing a Kashmiri has become an ordinary thing for these trigger-happy killers because they have no accountability or the fear of facing justice.
They are enjoying immunity and carrying massacre of innocents under well thought out plan, he added.
Govt Forces Feel Proud In Killing Even Insane Persons: Mirwaiz
Srinagar: Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Saturday strongly condemned the brutal custodial killing of a mentally unsound person by army in Shopian district of south Kashmir.
Raies Ahmed Wani son of Abdul Hameed Wani, a resident of Bugam, Kulgam was immensely tortured by army before being shot dead, a spokesman o the amalgam said in a statement issued here
Hurriyat Conference while expressing solidarity and sympathy with the family members of Wani, termed the incident as tragic and open aggression and terrorism by the Indian forces in Kashmir,.
The trigger happy Indian forces feel proud in killing even insane persons as they are enjoying ultimate impunity and unbridled powers under the draconian black laws to kill anyone at their will and wish in Kashmir, the spokesman said.
He said Raies Ahmed Wanis killing is not the first as earlier also dozens of such incidents have taken place wherein mentally deranged persons were killed by the government forces in Kashmir and time is witness that not a single personnel was held accountable till date.
The Hurriyat Conference also strongly denounced the rampant CASOs in south and north Kashmir areas that include Bandipora, Hajin, Kupwara, Handwara and Pulwama, Shopian, Anantnag, Bijberha and Pampore, stating that under the guise of search for armed youth, the government forces resort to manhandling of inmates including women and vandalize household goods and other electronic gadgets which reflects frustration on part of the armed forces.
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