Bengaluru, 25 August

The Karnataka government has transferred four cases related to Forest Department officials shooting three suspected poachers in Hanur, Chamarajanagar district and the subsequent violence to the CID for further investigation.

The incident occurred on 15 August in the Datti forest area and the four cases registered in Ramapura, Hanur and Kollegala Rural Police Stations of Chamarajanagara District have been transferred to CID, according to a release dated 24 August. The three killed were John Rose Peter, Sebastian David Kumar and Anthony Swamy, and officials have claimed that they were hunting deer and opened fire first, but locals have disputed the allegations. 

Karnataka Director General and Inspector General of Police, MA Saleem, has directed the Chamarajanagar Superintendent of Police to hand over the case files, along with the investigating officers, to the CID.

The issue has echoed in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, with political parties claiming that the victims were Tamils and had questioned the Karnataka officials’ explanation over the firing incident. On Tuesday, the DMK raised the issue in the Assembly and asked the TVK-led government what action it had taken.