Vijay Calls Killing of Three Tamils by Karnataka Forest Officials a 'Massacre', Demands Probe; Stalin Condemns, Karnataka Orders Inquiry

Three Tamil residents of villages in Hanur taluk, Chamarajanagar district — Anthony Sami, John Rose Peter and Kumar — were shot dead by Karnataka Forest Department personnel in the early hours of August 15, in what officials described as an exchange of fire at Maria Mangala Beat inside the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, near Shagya village. A fourth man, Mahima Das, reportedly escaped the encounter and was later hospitalised with injuries. Forest personnel said they had been acting on information about suspected poaching activity.

Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay strongly condemned the killings on August 17, calling the incident a "massacre" and describing Karnataka's explanation as "unacceptable." He demanded a high-level investigation into the deaths.

DMK president and former Chief Minister M.K. Stalin also condemned the incident as a "brutal and inhuman act," calling for strict action to prevent a recurrence and urging the Tamil Nadu government to secure fair compensation and employment for the families of the deceased.

Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said a magistrate-led inquiry had been ordered into the shootout, and that the complete facts would emerge only once the probe concluded. Hanur police have registered an FIR against the forest officials involved under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with punishment for murder, following a complaint lodged by the wife of one of the deceased.