A massive row erupted between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka after three alleged poachers were killed by the latter's forest department in the Chamarajanagar district on August 15. However, the family members of the three men criticised the Karnataka forest department and held a massive protest, seeking justice for them.
The controversy ignited more after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay condemned the incident, calling it a 'massacre' and saying that explanation provided by the Karnataka's forest department was 'unacceptable'. Vijay urged that the Karnataka government must take appropriate action over the incident.
Here's everything you need to know about the story in 10 points:
- "An honest investigation must be conducted regarding this brutal incident. A high-level investigation committee should be constituted, and appropriate punishment should be meted out to those responsible. The Karnataka government must provide all necessary assistance to the families of the victims," said Vijay in Tamil on X.
- Vijay was backed by Tamil Nadu political parties, including the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which sought an impartial judicial inquiry. "The tragic shooting of three Tamil people by the Karnataka Forest Department in the state's forest area is deeply shocking," said DMK president M K Stalin in a statement.
- The PMK, led by Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, also questioned the Karnataka forest department and its explanation demanded that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) should conduction a probe into the incident.
- The three deceased were identified as Antony Swamy, Peter and Kumar. As per the Karnataka forest department, they had entered the Datti forest and allegedly fired at forest personnel, which led to a gun battle. During that, they were killed.
- The forest department said it also recovered guns, some documents from their possession.
- However, the deceased's family members have questioned the forest department's action and staged a protest in Chamarajanagar, blocking the road to Male Mahadeshwara Betta. They said that justice must be granted to them and action should be taken against the guilty.
- "They should have shot them in the hand or leg, but instead, they shot them in the neck and killed all three. Bring the personnel who opened fire to the spot and take action against them," the locals said, as reported by news agency PTI.
- The wife of one of the deceased has also lodged an FIR against forest officers under sections Section 103(1) (punishment for murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
- With tensions escalating between the two states, Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the matter, adding that the government will provide compensation to the deceased's family members.
- "The forest department officials came and gave me first-hand information," he said. The guns of the poachers have been seized along with two bags of meat of wild animals... I have also said that there should be a proper response and appropriate action," he said.
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