Srinagar, Oct 24 (IANS) A 25-year-old man was killed Saturday when a soldier opened fire at him after he ignored a warning to stop near a security picket in a north Kashmir village, police said.
The killing triggered massive protests in Handwara town.

A police officer said a sentry manning an army bunker at the Dangiwachi camp in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district in the morning asked Sajad Ahmed Ganai to stop.

“The man did not heed the warning of the guard who opened fire. He died on the spot and the body has now been handed over to the relatives for burial,” the police officer said.

The relatives refused to bury the body and have been demanding an inquiry into the “murder”.

A spokesman of the army’s 15 Corps said the soldier opened fire in self defence when the man attacked him with an axe.

“A suspicious movement by an individual was observed near the camp this morning. On being challenged by the sentry, the man charged at the sentry with an axe and hit him on his head and right shoulder, injuring him seriously.

“He then jumped inside the camp gate and tried to charge at the other sentries in the camp. In the retaliatory gunfire, he was shot dead inside the camp. An inquiry has been ordered into the incident and FIR (First Information Report) lodged,” Lt. Col. J.S. Brar said.

Police have registered an FIR accusing the soldier of murder.

Local lawmaker Abdul Rashid was leading the protesters demanding a judicial probe into the incident.