1 week ago
Karnataka Forest Shootings Raise Close-Range Fire and Witness Questions
Three men died during a nighttime search in a forest in Karnataka.
Forest officials said they were looking for suspected poachers.
Officials said one man fired first or caused a gun to flash, making a guard panic and fire a shotgun.
The officials say the men had hunting weapons and deer meat nearby.
The families say the men were only looking for lost cattle and were sleeping when the shooting began.
A surviving man, Mahima Das, later said forest staff opened fire and he ran away.
He was found at a hospital but is now missing.
Early forensic findings suggest the fatal shots came from close or intermediate range.
A magistrate-led investigation will examine what happened.
Three men were killed during a forest search operation in Karnataka on August 15, 2026.
Preliminary forensic findings indicate one forest department pump shotgun was fired from near or intermediate range.
Forest officials say suspected poachers fired or caused a weapon flash before a guard panicked and fired back.
Families and a later video statement by survivor Mahima Das say the men were sleeping while searching for lost cattle.
Mahima Das was later hospitalized and is now missing as a magistrate-led inquiry examines the incident.
- Who
- Forest personnel and four men identified by officials as suspected poachers; Anthony Swamy, John Rose Peter and Sebastian David Kumar died, while Mahima Das escaped.
- What
- A forest guard fired a shotgun during a confrontation, killing three men.
- Where
- Near the Karadikalu rock formation in Hanur, within the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border.
- When
- The operation began around 8 p.m. on August 14, and the shooting occurred around 5–5:45 a.m. on August 15, 2026.
- Why
- Officials said they were responding to intelligence about poachers and retaliated after a weapon flash or firing; families disputed that account.
Forest Department Account
Families and Witness Account
Why the men entered the forest
Forest Department Account
Officials said the four men had gone deep into the forest intending to poach and were carrying two country-made weapons and hunting equipment.
Families and Witness Account
The families said the men entered the forest to search for lost cattle, and Mahima Das’s account said they were sleeping on the rocks.
What triggered the shooting
Forest Department Account
Officials said a suspect fired first or caused a weapon flash after a warning, prompting a guard to fire three rounds in panic to protect the patrol.
Families and Witness Account
The families’ complaint and Das’s video statement said the forest staff approached and opened fire while the men were asleep; Das denied that the men fired first.
Meaning of the injuries
Forest Department Account
The Forest Minister said the shotgun’s pellets scattered and struck the men in the upper torso because they were above the patrol and not clearly visible; he said there was no malicious intent.
Families and Witness Account
Relatives and opposition politicians questioned why the men suffered large chest, neck and other wounds, suggesting they may have been shot at close range after being captured.
Key facts
- Victims
- Anthony Swamy, John Rose Peter and Sebastian David Kumar were killed.
- Survivor
- Mahima Das, also known as Benjamin, escaped and was later admitted to a hospital.
- Search operation
- About 10–15 forest personnel, including guards, foresters and anti-poaching watchers, took part.
- Department weapon
- Officials said the fatal shots came from shotgun R721035, issued to forest guard Shivraj S.
- Forensic findings
- Preliminary findings indicated firing from a slide-action, or pump, shotgun at near or intermediate range, rather than point-blank range.
- Evidence cited by officials
- Forest authorities said they recovered two country-made weapons and about 34–34.25 kilograms of deer meat near the scene.
- Investigation
- Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar ordered a magistrate-led inquiry.
- Witness status
- Police said Mahima Das was not in custody, while the Forest Department described him as absconding.
Quotes
Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar
Karnataka Chief Minister
“It is heartbreaking that Tamils Anthony Swamy, John Rose Peter, and Kumar, who lived in villages in Hanur taluk, Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka, were shot dead by the Karnataka Forest Department in the early hours of August 15, 2026, in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary area. I strongly condemn this massacre.”
indianexpress.com
“"The poachers were at a higher altitude. The forest staff fired three rounds from a slide action gun… Since the hunters were not clearly visible, the bullets hit them in the upper torso."”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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