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A murder case has been registered, a magisterial inquiry is underway, protests have erupted in Hanur, and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has called the killings a “massacre”
While DK Shivakumar has claimed the three men were poachers, Vijay has called the killings a massacre.
Three men are dead after a firing incident inside Karnataka’s Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary. The Forest Department says they were suspected poachers who opened fire first. Their families say they were farmers who had gone into the forest looking for missing cattle and were shot by forest personnel.
Now, a murder case has been registered, a magisterial inquiry is underway, protests have erupted in Hanur, and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has called the killings a “massacre” and demanded a high-level probe.
The incident, therefore, is no longer just an alleged anti-poaching operation gone wrong. It has become a politically sensitive Karnataka-Tamil Nadu issue, with competing accounts of what happened in the forest and questions over whether the use of lethal force was justified.
What Happened Inside The Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary?
The firing took place in the early hours of August 15 in the Shagya forest beat of the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary in Hanur taluk of Chamarajanagar district. According to the Forest Department, personnel received information about suspected poaching and entered the forest area. A team led by a forest officer reportedly noticed torchlights and encountered four men around 5.20 am.
The department’s version is that the men were carrying firearms and had hunted wildlife. Forest officials have said they recovered guns and bags containing deer or other wild-animal meat from the spot.
Forest Minister Ramalinga Reddy said four men had been seen carrying an unlicensed gun and that two Forest Department teams subsequently encountered them. “According to our forest department staff, they shot at them to safeguard their lives,” Reddy said, adding that the truth would emerge only after the inquiry. He also said action would be taken if the officials were found to have made a mistake.
The Forest Department’s account is that the men opened fire first, forcing the personnel to retaliate. Three men were killed in the firing, while a fourth, identified in reports as Mahimadan or Mahima Das, escaped or was injured and later reached safety. A forest official was also reportedly injured.
Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge has described the episode as an anti-poaching operation rather than an “encounter”, while saying that firing did take place. He also acknowledged that he did not have all the details at that point.
Who Were The Three Men?
The deceased have been identified in reports as Antony Swamy, 50, John Rose Peter, 42, and Kumar alias Sawariyappan, 33. They were residents of villages on the fringe of the wildlife reserve. Tamil Nadu political leaders have described them as Tamil farmers, while Karnataka authorities have referred to them as suspected poachers.
The families strongly reject the Forest Department’s allegation that the three were habitual hunters. They say the men had gone into the forest area for reasons unrelated to poaching.
According to a report in The New Indian Express, Lourde Mary, Anthony’s wife, said he had been sleeping on agricultural land where the family cultivated maize and guarded the crop against wild animals. “He was taken from the farm land and shot. No one had given permission to shoot them. Even if they had made a mistake, how can they kill them?” she said.
Domina, Kumar’s wife, also questioned the circumstances of the deaths. “Who gave permission to the forest officers to kill them? Who will take care of my children now?” she asked.
What The Surviving Man Says
The fourth man, Mahima Das, could become a crucial witness because his account reportedly differs substantially from that of the Forest Department.
According to sources cited by The New Indian Express, Das told authorities that the group had entered the forest in search of missing cattle. He reportedly escaped the scene, travelled until he found a mobile signal and contacted a person in Pushpapura village, who helped him reach the village.
That version directly challenges the department’s claim that the group had entered the sanctuary to hunt deer. However, investigators will have to establish which account is supported by evidence.
What Evidence Has Been Recovered?
The Forest Department says firearms and bags containing wild-animal meat were recovered. The exact significance of that evidence is now one of the key questions before investigators.
Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said several witnesses had been questioned and items, including guns, had been seized. He said the truth would emerge only after the investigation.
The Forest Department has also said four bags containing deer meat were recovered, while a later report cited the Chief Minister as referring to about two kilograms of wild-animal meat.
Karnataka Leader of Opposition R Ashoka. however, questioned whether the firearms allegedly carried by the men and the wildlife meat had been conclusively established.
The post-mortem reports, ballistic examination, weapon examination, scene reconstruction and statements from the surviving man and forest personnel will therefore be crucial in establishing what happened.
Why Has A Murder FIR Been Registered?
The controversy intensified after Lourde Mary, Anthony’s wife, filed a complaint with Hanur police. Police registered a case under the murder provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Importantly, the FIR does not name any forest personnel as accused, according to the latest reports. It records the complaint and begins the criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Registration of an FIR under murder provisions does not mean the forest personnel have been found guilty. It means the allegations are serious enough to warrant investigation.
At the same time, the FIR ensures that the families’ version is formally part of the criminal investigation rather than remaining only a political or public allegation.
What Has The Karnataka Government Said?
Chief Minister DK Shivakumar ordered a magisterial inquiry soon after the incident. He said the inquiry would establish what happened during the firing, including which side opened fire and whether the forest personnel acted in self-defence.
“I received information about the facts of the matter only this morning. Forest Department officials gave me complete first-hand information,” Shivakumar said. He also said the government would consider compensation for the families.
The inquiry has already begun. Kollegal Sub-Divisional Officer Dinesh Kumar Meena visited the spot and conducted a mahazar. He said the report would be submitted within seven days and that the final report would take into account the post-mortem reports.
Forest Minister Reddy has said the government will act if the inquiry finds wrongdoing by officials.
Why Are Protesters Angry?
The deaths triggered protests in Hanur and surrounding areas, with relatives, farmers, Dalit and tribal leaders demanding action against the forest personnel. Protesters have described the incident as a “fake encounter” and demanded that those responsible be brought to justice. Hundreds gathered outside the Hanur police station on Sunday.
There was also vandalism at a forest office following the deaths, prompting heightened security in the area.
Local MLA M R Manjunath announced immediate relief of Rs 15 lakh for each family, with Rs 5 lakh from the government and Rs 10 lakh from his own funds.
Why Has Vijay Stepped In?
The incident acquired a wider political dimension after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay condemned the deaths. Vijay said the three men were Tamils residing in villages in Hanur taluk and rejected the Forest Department’s explanation.
“It is heartbreaking that Anthony Sami, John Rose Peter and Kumar, who were Tamils residing in villages in Hanur taluk, were shot dead by Karnataka Forest Department officials in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary. I strongly condemn this massacre,” he said.
He added: “The explanation provided by the Karnataka Forest Department is unacceptable. An honest investigation must be conducted into this brutal incident.”
Vijay demanded a high-level committee, punishment for anyone found responsible and assistance for the victims’ families.
DMK president MK Stalin also called the shooting “deeply shocking” and demanded a judicial inquiry. He said, “Attempts to protect those who committed the crime should be avoided and the incident should be registered as a murder case, followed by a transparent and impartial judicial inquiry.”
PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss demanded a CBI probe and Rs 1 crore compensation for each family, arguing that there was no evidence so far that the men were poaching or that an exchange of fire had taken place.
Karnataka Opposition Demands Judicial Probe?
The demand for an independent investigation is not restricted to Tamil Nadu. Karnataka Leader of Opposition R Ashoka has rejected the magisterial inquiry as inadequate and sought a judicial probe.
“If officials investigate officials, the inquiry is certain to go astray,” Ashoka said, arguing that only a judicial inquiry could establish the truth. He also called for the forest personnel involved to be relieved of duty until the investigation is completed.
Poachers Or An Unlawful Shooting?
The investigation has to establish why the men were there, whether they possessed and fired weapons, whether they were carrying illegally hunted wildlife, who fired first, and whether the force used by forest personnel was necessary and proportionate.
If the Forest Department’s version is established, the deaths could have resulted from an armed confrontation during an anti-poaching operation.
If the families’ and surviving witness’s version is supported by evidence, the case could instead point to an unlawful use of lethal force.
There is also a third possibility investigators may examine: even if the men had entered the sanctuary illegally or were involved in hunting, whether the circumstances justified the firing that killed three of them.
There is a murder FIR, a magisterial inquiry, competing eyewitness accounts, seized weapons and alleged wildlife meat, post-mortem findings still being examined, and a growing political confrontation.
And because the dead men were Tamil residents of a border region already marked by Karnataka-Tamil Nadu tensions, what happened in a forest near Hanur has quickly moved beyond a wildlife crime investigation.
Key Questions Answered
Ask News18The magisterial inquiry will aim to determine the facts from both sides, including whether the firing was deliberate or in self-defence. The Chief Minister stated that facts would emerge after the inquiry, as several articles were seized.
Ask News18About the Author
Pragati is a News Editor at news18.com. Having headed the Business and Viral sections, Pragati now ideates, writes and edits long-form features and articles on national and global affairs. She ensures…Read More
August 17, 2026, 09:24 IST
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