Chamarajanagar (Karnataka) [India], August 16 : Three men were killed in a firing incident near Mariya Mangala Forest in Hanur taluk of Chamarajanagar district on Saturday, following which the wife of one of the deceased lodged a murder complaint against forest officials, police said.
The complainant, Lourdu Mary, wife of the deceased Anthony Swamy, alleged in her complaint that forest officials from the Hanur Range opened fire on the three men when they had gone into the forest to search for missing cattle.
According to the FIR, two cows went missing on August 14. The next morning, the three men went to the forest near Mariya Mangala to look for them.
The deceased have been identified as Anthony Swamy (50), a resident of Mariya Mangala; Sebastian David Kumar (35), from Laasar Doddi; and John Rose Peter (43), from Jaganatha Doddi, all in Hanur taluk.
Mary alleged that the forest officials opened fire while the men were searching for the cattle, resulting in their deaths.
She further stated that a man identified as Mahimadas, who allegedly escaped from the spot, later contacted her and informed her about the incident. The complainant has sought strict action against the forest officials involved.
Hanur police have registered a case under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. The FIR was also forwarded to the Additional Civil Judge (Junior Division) and JMFC Court in Kollegala.
Police said an investigation is underway to establish the circumstances surrounding the firing incident. Further details are awaited.
Earlier, Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said a magistrate-led investigation has been ordered into the Hanur shootout in which three suspected poachers were killed in firing allegedly by forest personnel, asserting that the complete facts of the incident will be known only after the probe.
"A magistrate-led investigation has been ordered into the shootout case in Hanur. Complete information will be provided after the investigation," Shivakumar said while responding to media queries near the Sangolli Rayanna statue at Majestic.
The Chief Minister said he received information about the incident at around 5 am and that several witnesses had been questioned, while evidence, including items and guns, had been seized.
"I received information about the incident at 5 am. The truth will be known after the investigation. The shootout took place in a forest area. 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," he said.