Hanur shoot-out: Withdrawal of protest paves way for post-mortem

The post-mortem examination of the three suspected poachers killed in Hanur, Karnataka, was conducted after a protest by their families was withdrawn. The three victims, Antony Swamy, John Rose Peter, and Kumar, were found dead following an alleged exchange of fire in Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.

The families had initially refused to allow the post-mortem to proceed until they received a written assurance of compensation and punitive action against the officials involved. Despite the intense protest in Hanur, which drew a large crowd, Hanur MLA Manjunath successfully persuaded the protesters to call off the agitation. As part of the agreement, the MLA promised ₹5 lakh compensation for each deceased family and an additional ₹10 lakh each from his personal funds.

Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, informed by Forest Department officials, stated that guns and two bags containing wild animal meat were recovered from the deceased. He assured that a compensation package would be provided to the families and a magisterial inquiry into the incident had been ordered. Assistant Commissioner of Kollegal Sub-Division Dinesh Kumar Meena confirmed that the inquiry had commenced and awaited the post-mortem report before submitting his report to the Deputy Commissioner.