MYSURU: High drama prevailed in front of the mortuary at KR Hospital in Mysuru on Sunday as relatives and supporters of three men, who were killed in an alleged shootout with forest personnel near Shagya village in Hanur taluk of Chamarajanagar district, refused to allow the postmortem of the bodies, demanding justice and written assurances from the authorities.
Over 36 hours after the incident, the bodies remained at the mortuary of the Mysore Medical College and Research Institute (MMCRI) as the families refused to give their consent for the postmortem. The standoff led to tension at the mortuary, where relatives and villagers gathered demanding answers from the authorities.
The families alleged that they had repeatedly sought the names of the forest personnel involved in the shooting and demanded clarity on the circumstances that led to the deaths. They also questioned who would take responsibility for the families of the deceased, pointing out that all three men had young children.
Margerete, sister of deceased Peter, alleged that attempts were made to obtain the family’s signatures, initially for the panchanama and later for the postmortem. But the family refused to sign, insisting that they would give their consent only after receiving a written explanation and assurance from the authorities.
“We have not agreed to sign. We want a written explanation and assurance. Otherwise, we want Chief Minister DK Shivakumar or Forest Minister Ramalinga Reddy to come and meet us,” she said.
The families also demanded details of the sequence of events leading to the shooting and sought clarity on the role of each forest personnel who was present during the alleged encounter.
Kin relent after min’s assurance
The situation eased only around evening after former gram panchayat member Selva Kumar, who is said to be close to the families of the deceased, spoke to Forest Minister Ramalinga Reddy.
The minister reportedly assured him that necessary action will be taken and demands raised by the families will be addressed at the earliest.
Following the minister’s assurance, Peter’s family agreed to allow his body to undergo postmortem like other bodies, which are expected to be sent back to the village for the funeral.