MYSURU: Hanur town remained tense on Sunday following the death of three alleged poachers in a shootout involving forest personnel in the Shagya beat of the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, with protests intensifying and hundreds of farmers, Dalit and tribal leaders extending their support to the bereaved families and demanding a probe into the incident.
Amid the mounting protests, the Chamarajanagar deputy commissioner ordered an inquiry into the deaths. Kollegal Sub-Divisional Officer Dinesh Kumar Meena, who has been appointed as investigation officer, said the inquiry has commenced and the report would be submitted within seven days.
Meena said he visited the spot and conducted a mahazar. “The inquiry will be completed and the report submitted within the stipulated period. A detailed report will be prepared after receiving the postmortem reports of the deceased,” he said.
The FIR copy shows that Hanur police registered a murder case based on a complaint filed by Lourde Mary, wife of Anthony, one of the deceased. Though no forest personnel have been named as accused in the FIR, the police have registered a case under murder provisions based on her complaint.
The families and protesters alleged that the incident was a “fake encounter” and demanded that the forest personnel involved be brought before them. The protesters even warned that they would attack the personnel if brought to the spot, forcing forest staff to remain cautious and avoid moving out amid fears of retaliation from enraged villagers.
The protests continued from Saturday into Sunday evening, with hundreds of people gathering outside the Hanur police station. Slogans were raised demanding justice and action against those responsible for the deaths.
MLA M R Manjunath visited the protest site and attempted to pacify the protesters. As an immediate relief measure, he assured Rs 15 lakh to each of the deceased person’s family, with Rs 5 lakh to be provided by the government and the remaining Rs 10 lakh from his own funds as a temporary measure.
Police took three persons into custody after they allegedly confronted the police during the unrest, bringing them to the station as a precautionary measure to prevent further escalation.
Southern Range IGP Dr Boralingaiah has been camping in Hanur since Saturday and monitoring the situation. He also held a meeting at the Hanur Tourist Lodge on Sunday with inquiry officer Dinesh Kumar Meena, Chamarajanagar SP Muthuraj and Mysuru SP Mallikarjun Baladandi and collected details about the incident.
Meanwhile, Mysuru-based advocate Puneeth N has written to the State Human Rights Commission seeking an independent probe into the deaths.
Clarity after probe, says CM
On the killing of three suspected poachers in a shootout by forest personnel in Hanur, Chamarajanagar district, the CM a judicial inquiry has been ordered. He noted that preliminary reports indicated that the deceased were carrying two kg of wild animal meat, adding that full clarity would emerge post investigation.
