Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam president C Joseph Vijay on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the Karnataka Forest Department over the killing of three Tamil-origin men inside the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, branding the official explanation “unacceptable” and insisting on a high-level, impartial probe that ends with punishment for the guilty.
Posting on X late on Sunday, Vijay described the early-morning August 15 killings in Hanur taluk of Chamarajanagar district as a “horrific incident” and a “massacre”, rejecting the narrative put out by Karnataka authorities and demanding that a high-level inquiry committee be constituted without delay.
He said those found responsible must face “appropriate punishment”, while also pressing the Karnataka government to extend all possible help to the bereaved families and put in place measures to ensure such an episode is not repeated.
The victims — Anthony Sami, John Rose Peter and Kumar — were shot dead in the forest area; a fourth man, Mahima Das, managed to flee and was later admitted to hospital with injuries, as reported by The New Indian Express.
Karnataka’s Forest Department and Home Minister have maintained that the operation targeted poachers, claiming the men were armed and carrying deer meat. The families of the dead and the lone survivor, however, have flatly contradicted this, insisting the men were farmers.
DMK president and former chief minister M K Stalin, in a statement, called the killing of the three Tamils “shocking” and “strongly condemnable”, alleging that the incident showed a complete disregard for human life.
Stalin accused the Karnataka Forest Department of attempting to shield those behind the deaths, and demanded that a murder case be registered, a transparent and impartial probe be conducted, and the culprits punished.
He also urged the Tamil Nadu government to raise the matter firmly with Karnataka, warning that the state “should not remain silent on the issue as it had done during the Mekedatu controversy”.
The former CM sought compensation for the victims’ families and asked the state to ensure a government job for one member from each household.
PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss, in a separate statement, called for a CBI probe and demanded compensation of Rs 1 crore for each family.
CPI state secretary M Veerapandian said the three men were farmers who routinely took their cattle into the forest for grazing, and had gone inside to look for missing cattles when they were shot dead.
The party sought the arrest and dismissal of the forest officials involved, along with the registration of a murder case.
CPM state secretary Shanmugam, in his statement, echoed the demand for the arrest and dismissal of the officials, and appealed to the Tamil Nadu government to take up the issue with Karnataka.
