Chennai, Aug 26:
The Karnataka government has transferred the investigation into the shooting deaths of three Tamil Nadu men allegedly killed by forest department personnel to the Crime Investigation Department following serious questions over the circumstances of the incident.
The three men — Anthonysamy, John Rose Peter and Kumar — were shot dead on August 15 in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary area of Chamarajanagar district in Karnataka.
The Karnataka Forest Department had claimed that the three men were involved in deer hunting and that its personnel opened fire in self-defence.
However, the case took a serious turn after post-mortem reports reportedly raised questions about the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
According to reports, the bodies showed evidence of serious injuries, including fractured ribs and injuries that suggested possible assault before the shooting.
Reports also indicated that the three men may have been shot at close range while positioned near one another, further intensifying calls for an independent and detailed investigation.
Tamil Nadu Opposition Leader Udhayanidhi Stalin also raised the issue in the State Assembly, questioning whether Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay had condemned the incident when Karnataka Chief Minister visited Tamil Nadu.
With the seriousness of the allegations drawing increasing attention, the Karnataka government has now transferred the case from the regular police investigation to the CID for a comprehensive probe.
The CID investigation is expected to examine the sequence of events leading to the deaths, the forest department’s claim of self-defence and the findings contained in the post-mortem reports.