1 week ago
Karnataka Forest Officers Defend Firing That Killed Three Men
Three men suspected of poaching were killed when Karnataka forest personnel opened fire on August 15.
The shooting happened in the Hanur Wildlife Range of the Cauvery Wildlife Division.
Forest officers say they were trying to find and arrest suspected poachers.
They say they fired because they needed to protect themselves, forests, and wildlife.
The officers’ association said the deaths were regrettable.
Karnataka says the men had entered the sanctuary to hunt illegally.
Leaders in Tamil Nadu condemned the deaths and called for an investigation.
The circumstances of the shooting are still being examined.
Three suspected poachers were killed in forest department firing on August 15 in Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka.
The Karnataka State Range Forest Officers’ Association said personnel fired only in self-defence and to protect forests and wildlife.
The deaths of the Tamil-origin men triggered outrage and demands for an independent investigation in Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay condemned the killings, while Karnataka said the men entered the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary for illegal hunting.
The officers’ association opposed a police case against forest officials and called for action only after a proper investigation.
- Who
- Three Tamil-origin men suspected by Karnataka authorities of poaching and Karnataka forest personnel involved in the firing.
- What
- A forest department firing killed the three men; the forest officers’ association defended the action as self-defence and wildlife protection.
- Where
- The Hanur Wildlife Range of the Cauvery Wildlife Division in Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka, inside a reserve forest.
- When
- August 15; the articles do not specify the year.
- Why
- Forest officials said they were pursuing suspected poachers and fired to protect themselves, forests, and wildlife; critics are seeking an investigation into the deaths.
Forest Officers’ Defence
Calls for Investigation
Reason for the firing
Forest Officers’ Defence
The officers’ association said personnel opened fire only in self-defence while attempting to apprehend suspected wildlife poachers and protect forests and wildlife.
Calls for Investigation
Tamil Nadu leaders and others seeking accountability have challenged the circumstances of the deaths and demanded an investigation.
Police case against officials
Forest Officers’ Defence
The association strongly condemned the registration of a police case against forest personnel and said action should be taken only after a proper investigation.
Calls for Investigation
Those demanding a probe maintain that the officials’ conduct should be examined before the shooting is accepted as justified.
Status of the deceased men
Forest Officers’ Defence
The Karnataka government maintained that the men had entered the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary for illegal hunting.
Calls for Investigation
The deaths of the Tamil-origin men triggered outrage in Tamil Nadu, where the incident has become a sensitive interstate issue.
Key facts
- Fatalities
- Three suspected poachers were killed.
- Date
- August 15; the year is not specified.
- Location
- Hanur Wildlife Range, Cauvery Wildlife Division, Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka.
- Forest officers’ position
- The Karnataka State Range Forest Officers’ Association said the personnel fired only in self-defence and to protect forests and wildlife.
- Karnataka government position
- The men had entered the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary for illegal hunting.
- Tamil Nadu response
- Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay condemned the killings and sought an investigation; political leaders demanded a probe.
- Investigation dispute
- The association opposed action against officials before a proper investigation, while demands for an independent probe continued in Tamil Nadu.
Quotes
Karnataka State Range Forest Officers’ Association
Association representing Karnataka forest officers
““Forest department officers and staff work 24x7 in shifts to protect forests and wildlife. In the said operation, they opened fire only in self-defence and in the interest of protecting forests and wildlife, and had no other intention,””
thehansindia.com
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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