Even as the ruling Congress government in Karnataka ordered a magisterial inquiry into the killing of three suspected poachers in a forest in Hanur taluk of Chamarajanagar district by Forest Department personnel in the early hours of Saturday, the Opposition BJP and JD(S) in both Houses on Monday demanded a judicial probe.
They sought the resignation of Forest Minister Ramalinga Reddy, holding him morally responsible for the incident.
Leader of Opposition R.
Ashok raised the issue in the Legislative Assembly on Monday and demanded compensation of ₹1 crore each for the families of the three deceased, whom he described as having been “murdered” by Forest Department personnel.
Karnataka forest killing of three Tamils revives memories of gunning down of 20 Tamil Nadu woodcutters in Andhra Pradesh Mr.
Ashok claimed that a fourth person, who was injured in the incident, had been admitted to the K.R.
Hospital in Mysuru, but had subsequently disappeared.
The government’s explanation, he said, did not mention the injured person’s statement.
“If the three deceased were forest offenders like Veerappan, so many farmers would not have been protesting on their behalf,” he said.
Mr.
Ashok questioned the circumstances of the firing.
“The Forest Department personnel fired from very close range.
This cannot be called a retaliatory attack,” he said.
While forest personnel had the right to fire in self-defence, he said, they could have aimed at the legs if they were confronted at close quarters.
Instead, the firing was directed at the chest and neck, he alleged.
The BJP leader questioned why only three forest personnel had gone to the spot after receiving information about the presence of alleged poachers when a large number of staff were available in the area.
Ashok said people living on the fringes of forests depend on them for firewood and cattle-grazing.
“If they are intimidated like this, no one will be able to enter the forest,” he said.
Condemnation by Tamil Nadu Mr.
Ashok said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C.
Joseph Vijay had condemned the incident and questioned the killing of residents of Tamil Nadu.
He said Mr.
Vijay had stated on social media that Karnataka’s explanation was unacceptable.
Minister’s reply Mr.
Ramalinga Reddy, in his reply, identified the deceased as Antony Swamy, 50, John Rose Peter, 42, and Kumar alias Sawariyappan, 33, residents of villages on the fringes of the Cauvery Wildlife Reserve.
A fourth alleged poacher, Mahimadan, 45, was injured and admitted to a private hospital, he said.
According to the Forest Department’s report, Mr.
Reddy stated that two teams spotted four persons carrying an unlicenced firearm and four bags of deer meat after hunting in the forest.
Around 5 a.m., when it was still dark, forest personnel opened fire after allegedly coming under fire from the suspected poachers.
The personnel used a slide-action gun, which caused multiple injuries and death of three persons, he told the Assembly.
Reddy said the inquiry would establish the facts and that action would be taken against the forest personnel if any wrongdoing was found.
“If it is found that our officials made a mistake, we will definitely take action,” he said.
The relatives of the deceased have not filed a complaint against any specific officer, he pointed out.
Meanwhile, the protest by NDA allies over the killing of the suspected poachers saw adjournments in the Legislative Council twice.
Chairman Saleem Ahmed, who held discussions with ruling and opposition members in his chamber, said that the Opposition had agreed to allow Question Hour but had changed its stance.
Several BJP and JD(S) members skipped their questions while a few Congress legislators posed questions to the Ministers.
The disruptions continued over to the afternoon session too.
Appeal by Archbishop Meanwhile, Peter Machado, Archbishop of Bengaluru, has appealed to the State government to institute an independent judicial enquiry to establish facts, determine accountability and ensure justice.
