Bengaluru, Aug 17 (IANS) The BJP on Monday attacked the Karnataka government over the alleged encounter in which three alleged poachers were killed in the Chamarajanagar reserve forests by the Forest Department officials. It demanded an investigation into the incident and questioned the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Earlier in the day, in the Legislative Assembly, Forest and Ecology Minister Ramalinga Reddy said the forest officials received information around 8 p.m. on August 14 about poachers entering the Shagya jurisdiction of the Hanur Sub-Division of the Cauvery Wildlife Reserve with weapons and sent two search teams.
In the Karadikallu area, forest personnel came upon the poachers hiding behind boulders, firing at them.
Reddy said that after the forest staff came under fire, they returned fire in the direction from which the bullets were being fired. The poachers were positioned at a higher elevation and continued firing at the forest personnel who returned fire as they were authorised to do so, he said.
Around 10 forest personnel also received treatment for injuries, the minister said. A case has been registered in connection with the incident as the poachers had not obtained permission to enter the reserve forest. During the operation, forest personnel recovered around 34.5 kg of suspected wildlife meat, he said.
Responding to the explanation, Opposition leaders R. Ashoka, Chhalavadi Narayanaswamy and BJP State President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra alleged that the Forest Department had used excessive force and demanded that the government clarify its stand before the legislature.
Speaking in the Legislative Assembly, Opposition Leader R. Ashoka alleged that the three men were killed at close range and questioned the Forest Department’s claim that the firing was carried out in self-defence.
He alleged a fourth person who was injured in the incident had been admitted to a hospital in Mysuru but had subsequently disappeared. Ashoka questioned why the statement of the injured person was not mentioned in the government’s explanation of the incident.
“If the three deceased were forest bandits like Veerappan, so many farmers would not have protested in their support,” Ashoka claimed, questioning the circumstances that led to the encounter. He also pointed out that the government itself had stated that the deceased had no previous cases related to forest offences.
“If they had a criminal background, their names should have appeared in the rowdy sheets. Then why were they killed in an encounter?” he asked.
He acknowledged that forest officials have the authority to use firearms in self-defence but argued that the circumstances of the incident raised questions over whether such force was necessary.
“When they were at close range, the officials could have fired at their legs. Instead, they fired at the chest and neck,” Ashoka alleged.
“There are usually several forest personnel in the area. With hundreds of staff available, they could have caught them. What was the need to kill all three?” he asked.
Ashoka said people living near forests often enter forest areas to collect firewood or graze cattle and have historically depended on forest resources for their livelihood. He warned that excessive action against such people could create fear among communities living along forest boundaries.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chhalavadi Narayanaswamy alleged that the government had “murdered” three people in the Mariyamangala forest area of the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary in Hanur taluk.
Narayanaswamy questioned the government’s claim of protecting minority communities, alleging that the three deceased belonged to the same community. He claimed that local residents had described the deceased as respectable people and alleged that there had been long-standing disputes between them and forest officials.
BJP State President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra also demanded a comprehensive and impartial investigation, saying the encounter had raised serious doubts.
Speaking in the Assembly, Vijayendra said conflicts between forest-dwelling communities and Forest Department officials had been reported from several parts of Karnataka, including Shivamogga, Karwar, Madikeri and the coastal region.
He said the government’s explanation that the encounter occurred in self-defence had not addressed all questions surrounding the incident.
“What action will the government take against the officials responsible for the Hanur encounter? Will they be suspended or will some other action be taken? How much compensation will be provided to the families of the deceased?” Vijayendra asked.
–IANS
mka/rad
