Three alleged poachers killed in Cauvery forest encounter
Three alleged poachers were killed in an exchange of fire with forest personnel in the Datti forest area under the Shagya range here on Saturday, prompting Chief Minister D K Shivakumar to order a magisterial inquiry into the incident.
The incident occurred around 5.10 am in the dense forest area falling under the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary when forest personnel, acting on information about hunting, encountered four men, Forest Minister Ramalinga Reddy said.
"The Chief Minister directed that a magistrate inquiry be conducted to ascertain the facts from both sides. We need to find out what actually happened and whether the firing was deliberate or carried out in self-defence," Reddy said.
According to Reddy, two forest teams entered the area after receiving information that the hunters had gone hunting and followed a torchlight before intercepting them.
The men allegedly had two country-made pistols and four bags containing deer meat, Reddy said.
"At that point, they allegedly attempted to fire. The forest personnel told them, 'We will fire in self-defence.' Two of them died on the spot. One person was injured and was taken to hospital, where he reportedly died," he said.
One person allegedly fled the spot, the minister said.
Two country-made pistols and four bags of deer meat had been seized.
Shivakumar said several articles have been seized and that the facts would emerge after the magisterial inquiry.
"Some items and objects have been seized. They have said that all the details will come out after the magistrate's inquiry," he said.
The deceased were residents of Thomiyarpalya in Hanur taluk, police sources said.
The bodies were shifted to a hospital mortuary in Mysuru, where post-mortem examinations were conducted after the arrival of family members, sources said.
Following the encounter, relatives of the deceased allegedly vandalised the Shagya forest office in Hanur taluk, damaging furniture, equipment, a motorcycle and the office board, they said. Furniture and other articles were also thrown onto the road.
They staged a protest in Chamarajanagar and Mysuru.
Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj condemned the encounter and demanded criminal action against those responsible.
"If the concerned ministers genuinely have concern about this, they should first resign. A murder case should be filed against them. They should not be booked under an ordinary case; a murder case should be filed against them," Nagaraj said.
"We are giving life imprisonment to so many people. They have killed three people together today. In Chamarajanagar. This is not right," he said.
Nagaraj said he would stage a satyagraha in front of the Forest Department office.
The police are monitoring the situation in the aftermath of the incident, sources added.
