Hanur Forest Shootings: CID Probe Begins as Close-Range Injuries Raise Questions Over ‘Crossfire’ Claim

Karnataka’s probe into the August 15 deaths of three Tamil men in the Hanur forest has widened, with the CID taking over four connected cases amid demands for a CBI investigation.

The victims Anthony Swamy, John Rose Peter and Sebastian David Kumar were shot dead in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary. The Forest Department maintains they were suspected deer poachers who opened fire during an anti-poaching operation, forcing personnel to retaliate in self-defence. Officials have cited suspected deer meat, firearms and hunting-related articles as support. Forest Minister Ramalinga Reddy said about 20-30 kg of wildlife meat, identified as deer meat, was recovered.

The post-mortem findings have intensified questions. Reports indicate close-range firing, including burning, scorching and singing around at least one wound, findings associated with a very close-range shot. This has raised questions about the Forest Department’s account that the men were positioned on higher ground and were killed during an exchange of fire.

A magisterial inquiry ordered by the Chamarajanagar administration is underway under Kollegal Sub-Divisional Officer Dinesh Kumar Meena. The inquiry began with a site inspection and mahazar, and officials said the report would be prepared after receiving the post-mortem reports. Its findings have not yet been made public.

The Karnataka Police transferred four FIRs from Ramapura, Hanur and Kollegala Rural police stations to the CID, including a murder case filed on a complaint by Anthony Swamy’s wife against unidentified forest personnel. The CID will also examine attacks on forest camps after the deaths.

A CBI probe, if ordered, would examine core forensic questions: which weapon fired each shot, firing distances and trajectories, the victims’ positions, whether recovered weapons were used, whether the men actually fired first, and whether the poaching evidence links specifically to them. Investigators would test witness accounts, communications and scene preservation.

The issue is not whether poaching material was recovered, but how the three men died, who fired the fatal shots and whether the shooting was a lawful response to an armed attack.