Erode: A mentally unstable man was shot dead near Gobichettipalayam early on Saturday morning after he was mistaken for a thief.
The deceased has been identified as P Kannan, 50, from Modachur near Gobichettipalayam. Police have arrested the accused J Mohanlal, 55, a farmer, and confiscated a single barrel breech loader (SBBL) gun from him.
Erode district SP G Jawahar said, "Mohanlal found Kannan standing inside his compound, when he came out to check after hearing his dog bark. Believing that Kannan was a thief who had jumped into his compound, Mohanlal retrieved his SBBL and fired two shots. It hit Kannan in his chest and stomach, killing him on the spot."
Neighbours who heard the gunshots alerted Gobichettipalayam police. DSP G Srinivasan, and inspector Kamaraj Ponnusamy rushed to the spot, followed by SP Jawahar. Preliminary investigations revealed that Kannan's sons were taking him to a nearby hospital for treatment, when the incident took place. "Kannan had refused to cooperate with his sons and jumped into Mohanlal's compound," the SP added.
Gobichettipalayam police have registered a case against Mohanlal, under several sections including murder, violation of the arms act, and offenses under the SC/ST act, as the deceased belonged to a scheduled caste.
(Photo: S Parthiban, Erode)