MANGALURU/ KASARGOD:Karnataka Forest guards opened fire at three cattle transporters from Panathur in Kasargod district, and injured one of them at Sullia in Dakshina Kannada district early on Sunday, according to the jurisdiction police. However, the Forest department has denied shooting at the people, saying the shots were fired in the air as a warning when the driver refused to stop his vehicle for a routine check.
Nishanth from the Kerala village, who was driving the pick-up van, suffered pellet wounds on his left leg and has been admitted in Pariyaram Medical College, Rajapuram sub-inspector Shiju M V told The New Indian Express. “Four pellets are lodged in his leg, at the ankle,” he clarified.
P M Haneefa and K V Aneesh, who were with Nishanth in the pick-up vehicle, have told the Kerala police that they were intercepted by Karnataka Forest officials at Alappy village while they were travelling on the Panathur-Sullia Road around 3.30 am.