MYSURU: Saragur police have booked 17 forest department officials in a case involving the custodial death of a tribal man Kariyappa in Gundre Range of Bandipur forest. The cases are registered under the Prevention of SC/STs Atrocities Act.
According to an FIR, police have booked Range Forest Officer Amruthesh, Deputy Range Forest Officer Karthik Yadav, two forest officials and 13 others in the case. Kariyappa, a native of Hosahalli village, was detained on charges of hunting a deer and possessing its meat. He died in the custody of forest officials and his family has alleged that he was tortured to death.
MLA Anil Chikkamadu visited the mortuary in K R Hospital where Kariyappa’s body was kept. The MLA has demanded a CID probe into his death. Recalling that it is the second such incident in H D Kote taluk, the MLA said that the government should take the case seriously as injury marks were found on the body of the deceased. Chikkamadu also demanded that the government should give a job to a member of the Kariyappa family, besides paying compensation to his family. Meanwhile, Kariyappa’s body was handed over to his family members after a postmortem in the presence of a magistrate.