Tamil Nadu CM condemns Karnataka forest killing, demands inquiry

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has condemned the killing of three Tamil men by Karnataka Forest Department personnel in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, calling it a massacre and demanding a high-level inquiry. The incident, which occurred in the early hours of August 15 in Hanur taluk of Karnataka's Chamarajanagar district, has sparked political outrage and protests, with the victims' families disputing official accounts of a poaching encounter.

The deceased have been identified as Anthony Sami, John Rose Peter, and Kumar. A fourth man, Mahima Das, survived with injuries. The Karnataka Forest Department stated that its personnel were conducting an anti-poaching operation when the men opened fire, prompting retaliatory action. The department claimed firearms and deer meat were recovered. However, the victims' families and several Tamil Nadu political parties have asserted the men were farmers who had entered the forest to search for missing cattle.

In a statement on Sunday, August 16, Chief Minister Vijay rejected the Forest Department's explanation as unacceptable. He urged the Karnataka government to constitute a high-level committee, punish those found guilty, and...