Forest officials shot dead three suspected poachers in Chamarajanagar district’s Holedatti forest early on Saturday, police said.
Chief minister DK Shivakumar said that the state government has ordered a magisterial enquiry into the deaths, and a separate police probe is also underway.
They claimed to have responded to a tip-off to find the three men cutting meat out a wild animal’s carcass and tried to take them into custody before they allegedly opened fire and officials were forced to respond in kind, killing three of the group on the spot. Officials also claimed that a member of their group was also injured in the firing. Forest officials said the firing incident occurred early on Saturday.
The deceased were identified as Peter, Kumar and Antonyswamy, whose wife Lourdamery lodged a complaint upon which an FIR was registered. The group stayed the night in the forest, she added. The group’s lone survivor, Joseph, as well as other family members, strongly denied the department’s allegations.
The deceased men’s nephew Vijay Anthony told reporters that the family would refuse to accept the bodies till steps were taken to ensure action against forest personnel through an impartial probe. She said that her family reared cattle to earn a living, and Antonyswamy, his brother Kumar, brother-in-law Peter and another relative Joseph entered the forest on Tuesday to search for cattle that were reportedly missing.
“They were ordinary farmers who cultivated land and reared cows and buffaloes. When our cattle go into the forest to graze and do not return home even after nightfall, it is normal for us to go looking for them… Even if they had weapons, was there a need to shoot them in a way that took their lives?
The department says that our people opened fire. If that is the case, then let them clearly state which forest department employee was hit by a bullet,” he said.
