Three Tamil Men Shot Dead in Karnataka Forest: Vijay Labels Incident a “Massacre”
The Shooting at Maria Mangala Beat
Indiadailyupdate.com – In the small hours of August 15, 2026, three Tamil men were killed in a gunfight with Karnataka Forest Department staff inside the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, near Shagya village in Hanur taluk, Chamarajanagar district. The victims — Anthony Sami, John Rose Peter, and Kumar — were residents of villages in that taluk. A fourth man, Mahima Das, managed to flee the scene and was subsequently rushed to hospital bearing injuries.
Forest Department officials stated that their personnel, posted at Maria Mangala Beat, opened fire after what they described as suspected poachers aimed a weapon at them. The department framed the episode as part of a routine anti-poaching operation. The three bodies were first transported to the mortuary at Kollegal Government Hospital, where police set up a security perimeter.
Tamil Nadu Leadership Demands High-Level Probe
Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay reacted sharply on Monday, branding the killings a “massacre” and insisting that the Karnataka Forest Department’s explanation was wholly unacceptable.
“It is heartbreaking that Anthony Sami, John Rose Peter and Kumar, who were Tamils residing in villages in Hanur taluk of Chamarajanagar district in Karnataka, were shot dead by Karnataka Forest Department officials in the early hours of August 15, 2026, in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary area. I strongly condemn this massacre.”
Vijay went on to call for an impartial, high-level investigation committee and stated that those found responsible must face appropriate punishment.
“The Karnataka government must ensure that an impartial investigation is conducted into this brutal incident. A high-level investigation committee should be constituted, and appropriate punishment should be meted out to those responsible.”
DMK and PMK Press for Judicial Inquiry
Both the DMK and the PMK had earlier demanded an impartial judicial inquiry and action against the forest personnel involved. DMK president M.K. Stalin stressed that strict measures were needed to prevent recurrence and urged the Tamil Nadu government to secure fair compensation and employment for the families of the dead.
“This brutal act, carried out with utter disregard for human life, deserves the strongest condemnation.”
Karnataka Orders Magistrate-Led Inquiry
Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced that a magistrate-led probe into the Hanur shootout had been directed. He cautioned that the full picture would become clear only after the investigation concluded.
“Several witnesses have been questioned, and items and guns have been seized. The media is broadcasting various stories. Some people have been arrested, and the bodies are being taken for post-mortem.”
Protests and Legal Action
On Sunday, demonstrations took place in both Chamarajanagar and Mysuru, with marchers calling for justice on behalf of the three slain men. Tensions ran high in Hanur itself, where villagers and relatives of the deceased gathered in the Datti forest area to voice their fury at Forest Department authorities.
According to reports, Hanur police have registered an FIR against the forest officials implicated in the incident under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
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