Cauvery wildlife sanctuary: Protests on, forest officials booked for murder of three

Protests erupted in Chamarajanagar and Mysuru for a second day, demanding justice for three men killed during an alleged confrontation with forest officials in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary on Saturday morning. The families of the victims are seeking an independent investigation, financial compensation, and the arrest of the involved officials. Political parties in Tamil Nadu, such as DMK and PMK, question the officials' claim that the victims were poachers, asserting that the deceased were Tamils.

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has directed a magisterial probe into the incident involving Antony Swamy, John Rose Peter, and Kumar Sawariyappan, who were residents of a tribal area near the protected forest. The deceased, along with Joseph Mahima Das, who was injured during the event, are said to have been searching for cattle when confronted by forest officials. However, forest officials maintain that the men were poachers with wildlife meat and opened fire upon confrontation, resulting in three deaths.

Police registered an FIR against the forest officials under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with punishment for murder. The families of the deceased have consented to post-mortem examinations at KR Hospital, where the bodies were taken. Angry villagers gathered outside the KR Hospital and even vandalized the Shagya forest office in Hanur on Saturday, rejecting the forest officials' version of events.