Shootout row: Karnataka CM Shivakumar tells Tamil Nadu leaders to stay out of Karnataka affairs
Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has rejected calls from Tamil Nadu leaders for a CBI investigation into the Hanur forest shootout, stressing that states should respect each other’s jurisdiction.
The incident in Chamarajanagar district has sparked anger in Tamil Nadu because the three men who were killed were reportedly from the state. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has called for a high-level investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Shivakumar said Karnataka would handle the matter through its own administration and law-and-order machinery. Responding to criticism from Tamil Nadu politicians, including former chief minister O Panneerselvam, he said leaders should concentrate on issues within their respective states.
The confrontation took place in the Hanur Forest Range in the early hours of August 15. Forest officials alleged that the suspected poachers refused to surrender and attacked them. Three men — Antony Swamy, 50, Jone Rose Peter, 42, and Kumar Sawariyappan, 35 — were killed, while Joseph Das, 44, was injured.
The incident led relatives of the victims to stage a major protest in Hanur. The issue also came up in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Monday, where the Opposition BJP called for a judicial inquiry. The state government, meanwhile, has continued to defend the forest personnel involved in the operation.