The killing of three suspected poachers by Karnataka forest department staffers in Chamarajanagar district on Independence Day is threatening to turn into an inter-state imbroglio. While forest staffers claim the incident in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary was a shootout, locals say it was a fake encounter and the men had gone there searching for their cattle. Protesting villagers vandalised the forest office in Hanur and the post mortem at the Mysore Medical College and Research Institute was delayed as the bereaved families initially refused consent. Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has ordered a magisterial inquiry, a murder case has been filed and the district police have begun a probe.
The plot is thickening with a fourth man, who escaped, releasing a video of the shooting, claiming it was unprovoked. Families of the dead have demanded that the guilty be punished, besides fair compensation and government jobs. They have sought clarity on the circumstances that led to the killings and evidence of hunting.
Forest Minister Ramalinga Reddy has maintained that locally-made guns, bags containing 20-30 kg of deer meat, a carcass, utensils and spices were found at the shootout spot; there are also allegations that these were planted. Things are likely to be clearer after the police and forensics teams complete their investigation. Amid allegations that the men were shot at point-blank range, there remains the crucial question why the forest staff did not follow protocol and arrest them, or shoot below the waist.
The killings have led to an uproar in the Karnataka legislature. Opposition parties have paralysed business in the Assembly and the Council, pushing the government on the backfoot. The identity of the deceased men—Tamils residing on the state border—has led to a backlash from Tamil Nadu. Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, a Congress ally, has demanded a high-level probe. Other TN political leaders are visiting the bereaved families and have demanded a CBI probe. Shivakumar has dismissed the demands, saying no state should interfere with the administration of any other state. It is an unwanted controversy at a time when Karnataka’s ties with Tamil Nadu are strained over the release of Cauvery water. If he wants his government to remain unscathed, Shivakumar needs to ensure a swift probe, fair compensation and let the law take its course.