ERODE: A 40-year-old fisherman from Kolathur in Salem is suspected to have been shot dead by Karnataka forest department personnel near the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border on Tuesday night. The body of M Raja (a) Karavadaiyan, a resident of Arisipalayam near Govindhapadi in Kolathur in Salem district, was found floating on Palar River by the Salem district police on Friday. Salem superintendent of police R Sivakumar, however, said the cause of death could be conclusively established only after getting the postmortem report.
As villagers alleged that he was shot dead by Karnataka forest personnel, tension prevailed in border areas and Tamil Nadu and Karnataka authorities deployed additional police force to maintain law and order. Vehicular movement was also affected for some time.
According to sources, a group of fishermen from Salem were fishing near the confluence of Cauvery and Palar rivers on Tuesday when Karnataka forest department personnel allegedly opened fire and killed one of them. Police sources said, “On February 14 night, Raja and four others from Salem were fishing at Palar on Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border. The gang is suspected to have gone for hunting in forests on the banks of the rivers when Karnataka forest department personnel allegedly opened fire on them.
While everyone jumped into the river and escaped, Raja did not return home and was untraceable.” Subsequently, Raja’s relatives lodged a missing complaint at Mettur police station on Thursday. The relatives also told police that Karnataka forest personnel had shot Raja.
‘Reason for death can be ascertained only after autopsy’
The Mettur police registered a man-missing case and were investigating. “On Friday, police received information about Raja’s body floating on Palar near Kaveri Puram of Erode district. They sent the slightly decomposed body to Salem GH for postmortem. A case registered under Section 174 CrPC (drowning),” sources said.
V Sasimohan, Erode superintendent of police, said, “As the body was decomposed, it could not be immediately ascertained whether he died of gunfire or drowning. Full details will be known only after we get the postmortem report.”
Additional police forces have been deployed at Karaipatti check post on Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border near Kolathur in Salem district to avoid untoward incidents. Interstate vehicular movement was stopped for a while, sources said.
Salem SP R Sivakumar said, “A postmortem will be held on Saturday. At present, police are engaged in security operations at important places on Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border. Traffic between the two states is smooth.”
“Raja has several cases pending against him. In 2018, when Raja and his friend Palani went on a similar hunt together, Palani died in firing by Karnataka forest personnel,” police said. Communist Party of India (CPI) and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) criticised Karnataka forest department for firing on Tamil Nadu fishermen.
CPI state secretary R Mutharasan expressed his condolences to the victim’s family, and in his statement, called on the state government to conduct a thorough probe and provide compensation to the family. Meanwhile, PMK president Dr Anbumani Ramadoss also condemned the alleged shooting and called on the state police to register a case and arrest the accused. He also requested the state government to provide a compensation of Rs 50 lakh to the victim’s family and a government job to one of his family members.
Postmortem to be carried out today
CM MK Stalin condemned the Karnataka forest department for firing at the TN fisherman and announced `5 lakh solatium to his family. Erode SP V Sasimohan said the reason for Raja’s death will be known only after getting the autopsy report.