THENI: A 55-year-old man was shot dead by a forest officer late on Saturday night in the Vannathiparai forest range that falls under Gudalur in Theni. Forest officials alleged the deceased, identified as A Eswaran of KG Patti, had been involved in installing an illegal electric fence for poaching.
Uthamapalayam judicial magistrate A Ramanathan initiated an inquiry into the man’s death, while Eswaran’s wife Uma on Sunday petitioned revenue officials, stating her husband had been at the spot working as a security guard. The man’s family staged a protest demanding action against the forest officer and refused to accept Eswaran’s body after the post-mortem examination.
According to police, forest officials had received information that unknown persons were involved in poaching by setting up illegal fencing in the elephant trench in Vannathiparai forest range. Based on this, a team led by Gudalur forest ranger M Muralidharan, two foresters and watchers visited the spot at 9.45pm on Saturday. They found illegal electrical fencing had been installed in the elephant trench and so team divided into two groups to search for the poachers.
‘Action will be taken based on magisterial inquiry’
One group, led by forester Thirumurugan and watcher Penny, allegedly spotted Eswaran, with a sickle. Thirumurugan seized the sickle and asked who else was involved in poaching. Eswaran started running, but Penny caught him. “Eswaran took out another sickle he had hidden and started attacking Penny. To save Penny, Thirumurugan shot him in the stomach. Eswaran died on the spot,” police said.
Muralidharan alerted the police and forest department, following which Ramanathan and Uthamapalayam assistant SP Mathukumari conducted an inquiry. Muralidharan also lodged a complaint with Kumuli police station against the deceased. Police registered a case under Sections of 294(b), 353, 307 IPC, 25 (1) Arms Act and 176 (1A) (1) CrPC. Eswaran’s body was sent to the Theni GH for postmortem. As per a G.O. in 1988, forest officers in the rank or guard and above are permitted use firearms but should use minimum possible force in due discharge of their duties. Any firing will be followed by a magisterial inquiry.
Learning of the death, Eswaran’s family staged a road roko in front of the Cumbum GH and the collectorate. They demanded the body be brought to Cumbum GH and sought action against the forest officer. Cumbum South Station police personnel convinced the family to give up the protest. In her petition to the District Revenue Officer Jayabharathi, Uma said her husband was working as a security guard in Vannathiparai area.
She alleged the forester shot her husband by mistakenly assuming he was a poacher and demanded he be arrested. A forest department official, however, claimed there were several cases against Eswaran for poaching. Theni SP Dongre Pravin Umesh said a case under Section 176 (1A) (1) of the CrPC had been registered in Eswaran’s death. As per procedure, action will be taken based on the magistrate’s report. If any recommendations are made against the officials, sections in case will be altered, he said.