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Elderly veteran not to be prosecuted for killing bandit

86-year-old WW2 veteran killed a 35-year-old bandit, who illegally got into the pensioner's house and threatening with a knife demanded money from him

ULAN-UDE, June 25 (Itar-Tass) — The investigative authorities in the Trans-Baikal Territory have ruled not to open a criminal case against a 86-year-old WW2 veteran who killed a 35-year-old bandit.

The Shilkinsky inter-district department of the Russian Investigative Committee in the Trans-Baikal Territory ruled that no legal proceedings be instituted against the elderly man as there was no corpus delicti, a department source told Itar-Tass.

The investigators have established that on May 21 at about 05:30 in the morning in the village of Kazanovo, the Shilka district, a 35-year-old man, who had previous convictions, illegally got into the pensioner's house and threatening with a knife demanded money from him. There was a fight between them, and in the fight the bandit stabbed the WWII veteran with the knife in the breast. However, the veteran in response managed to stab the attacker in the stomach. After that, the pensioner called neighbours for help. While a doctor rendered first aid to the veteran, the robber died of blood loss, the source said.

The actions of the veteran, Pavel Veretelnikov, were within needed self-defence to repulse the attack when there was danger for his life and health. The Russian law prescribes exemption from prosecution for self-defence under such circumstances.