‘Strongly condemn this massacre’: Tamil Nadu CM Vijay on Karnataka’s Hanur shootout

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday condemned the killing of three Tamil residents in an alleged firing by Karnataka Forest Department officials in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary area, terming the incident a “massacre” and demanding a high-level investigation.

In a post on social media platform X, Vijay said, “It is heartbreaking that Anthony Sami, John Rose Peter, and Kumar, who were Tamils residing in villages in the Hanur taluk of Chamarajanagar district in Karnataka, were shot dead by Karnataka Forest Department officials in the early hours of August 15, 2026, in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary area. I strongly condemn this massacre”.

கர்நாடகாவின் சாம்ராஜ் நகர் மாவட்டம், ஹனூர் தாலுக்காவில் உள்ள கிராமங்களில் வசித்து வந்த தமிழர்களான அந்தோணி சாமி, ஜான் ரோஸ் பீட்டர், குமார் ஆகியோர், 2026 ஆகஸ்ட் 15 அன்று அதிகாலையில், காவிரி வனவிலங்கு சரணாலயப் பகுதியில், கர்நாடக வனத் துறையினரால் சுட்டுக் கொல்லப்பட்டது வேதனை…

— TVK Vijay (@TVKVijayHQ) August 16, 2026

Dismissing the initial reports provided by the forest authorities, Vijay added, “The explanation provided by the Karnataka Forest Department regarding this incident is unacceptable. An honest investigation must be conducted regarding this brutal incident. A high-level investigation committee should be constituted, and appropriate punishment should be meted out to those responsible.”

Vijay also urged the Karnataka government “to provide all necessary assistance to the families of the victim and to take appropriate measures to ensure that no such incident occurs again.”

Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday already said that a magistrate-led investigation has been ordered into the Hanur shootout in which three suspected poachers were killed in firing by forest personnel, asserting that the complete facts of the incident will be known only after the probe.

The Chief Minister said he received information about the incident at around 5 am and that several witnesses had been questioned, while evidence, including items and guns, had been seized.

“I received information about the incident at 5 am. The truth will be known after the investigation. The shootout took place in a forest area. Several witnesses have been questioned, and items and guns have been seized. The media is broadcasting various stories. Some people have been arrested, and the bodies are being taken for post-mortem,” he said.

Three suspected poachers were killed in an exchange of fire with forest personnel in the early hours of Saturday at Maria Mangala Beat near Shagya village in Hanur taluk of Chamarajanagar district. The deceased have been identified as Antoniswamy, Peter and Kumar, residents of Thomiyar Palya village in the Maria Mangala beat area. They are suspected of having entered the forest illegally for hunting.

According to the forest personnel’s account, the officials on duty at Maria Mangala opened fire after the suspected poachers allegedly pointed a gun at them. The bodies were initially taken to the morgue of Kollegal Government Hospital, where police have deployed a security cordon.

Following the incident, police and forest department officials held a meeting with residents of Maria Mangala and Jagannath Dhodi villages. Chamarajanagar Superintendent of Police Muthuraj, along with senior police and forest officials, met villagers as the investigation continued. (ANI)