Published Aug 19, 2026 | 7:22 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 19, 2026 | 7:22 PM
The forest officials came across the group of men at 5 AM on August 15, during a routine patrol.(Wikimedia)
Synopsis: The killing of three Tamil-origin residents in a Karnataka Forest Department firing in Chamarajanagar has developed into an interstate political flashpoint, with Tamil Nadu leaders demanding an independent probe and Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar warning against interference in the state’s affairs.
The gunning down of three Tamil Nadu residents by Karnataka Forest Department personnel in Chamarajanagar’s Hanur has escalated into a political flashpoint between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, with leaders across the border demanding independent probes and Chief Minister DK Shivakumar pushing back against what he termed interference in Karnataka’s administration.
The row has also placed the Congress in a politically sensitive position. While the party governs Karnataka, it is allied with Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s TVK in Tamil Nadu, where the 15 August deaths have triggered demands for action against the forest personnel involved and an independent investigation into the circumstances of the firing.
Vijay termed the deaths a “massacre” and questioned the Karnataka Forest Department’s account of the incident.
Amid the growing political pressure, a video of the daughter of one of the deceased appealing directly to Vijay to visit the family has been widely circulated on social media.
Bessie, daughter of Kumar of Thomiarpalya village, one of the three men killed in the firing, appealed to Vijay to visit their home and hear the family’s grievances.
Addressing him as “Vijay Mama”, she spoke about the financial difficulties facing the family following her father’s death, including loans he had taken, and sought assistance.
The appeal comes as Mahimadas, the fourth man allegedly present during the incident and the only one to survive, had challenged the Forest Department’s version of what happened inside the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.
Mahimadas, who allegedly escaped during the firing, subsequently released a video from an undisclosed location giving a markedly different account of the events.
He alleged that Forest Department personnel opened fire soon after arriving at the spot at around 5.20-5.30 am on 15 August, prompting him to flee in fear. He said he remained away before eventually seeking medical treatment and appealed to police for protection, saying he feared coming forward.
Mahimadas was subsequently traced and admitted to a private hospital in Mysuru. Chamarajanagar district in-charge minister C Puttarangashetty and district officials visited him at the hospital, according to reports. He has since been discharged. His present whereabouts have not been publicly disclosed, according to reports.
The deaths have triggered reactions across Tamil Nadu’s political spectrum, with parties questioning the Forest Department’s self-defence claim and demanding an independent investigation.
The Tamil Nadu Assembly on 18 August filed a calling-attention motion, with parties pressing the government over the killings. DMK leaders demanded a judicial probe, calling the killings “fake encounters,” while the AIADMK and other TVK allies demanded a CBI investigation. The Tamil Nadu government is also contemplating offering ₹10 lakh in financial aid to each family.
A multi-party delegation from Tamil Nadu, including former MLA Veluswamy, Venkateswaran and Dharmapuri PMK district president Manjunath, subsequently travelled to Hanur and met the bereaved families, extending support and raising the issue of compensation according to reports.
The intervention of Tamil Nadu politicians, however, drew a sharp response from Shivakumar.
“This is a federal structure. No state should interfere with any state’s administration,” Shivakumar said, asking political leaders from the neighbouring state to respect administrative boundaries.
Responding to demands for an impartial investigation, he said: “They should do their job. We should do ours.”
On Wednesday, Shivakumar said a thorough investigation into the Hanur firing was underway and that the government would comment once the probe was completed.
Anthony Sami, John Rose Peter and Kumar, all residents of Hanur taluk, were killed in the early hours of 15 August.
The Forest Department has maintained that its personnel were conducting an anti-poaching patrol when they encountered the group and opened fire in self-defence after allegedly coming under attack. Officials have said suspected venison, weapons and other materials were recovered from the spot.
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The families of the deceased have disputed this account and questioned the circumstances under which the three men were shot dead.
Following a complaint by the wife of one of the deceased, Hanur police booked Forest Department personnel under Section 103(1) of the BNS, which deals with murder. The Karnataka government has also ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident.
The controversy has acquired an additional political dimension because of the relationship between the Congress and Vijay’s TVK.
Given the Congress’s position in the two states – heading the government in Karnataka while being part of the ruling TVK-led coalition in Tamil Nadu – the Hanur firing has placed the party in a politically delicate position.
Shivakumar’s warning against interference has further sharpened the divide as Vijay and other Tamil Nadu leaders press for stronger action over the deaths involving Karnataka Forest Department personnel.
Meanwhile, the families of the three deceased staged protests and road blockades in Hanur demanding action against the forest personnel and adequate compensation.
The families have been assured ₹5 lakh each from the Karnataka government, while Manjunath has announced an additional ₹10 lakh each for the bereaved families.
With the lone survivor challenging the Forest Department’s account, the victims’ families seeking Vijay’s intervention and Tamil Nadu politicians stepping up pressure on Karnataka, attention is now centred on the magisterial inquiry and whether its findings can resolve the competing versions of the August 15 firing that have fuelled the political confrontation between the two states.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
