Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Sunday strongly condemned the shooting of three Tamil men in Karnataka's Chamarajanagar district. Dismissing the Karnataka forest department's explanation as "unacceptable," he demanded a thorough investigation into the incident.

"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," he wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

"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. The Karnataka government must provide all necessary assistance to the families of the victims," he added, further urging the state government to "take appropriate measures to ensure that no such incident occurs again."

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3 Suspected Poachers Killed In Karnataka Forest Firing; Magisterial Inquiry Ordered

Three suspected poachers, identified as Antony Swamy, Peter, and Kumar, were killed in a gunfight with forest department officials inside the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.

Acting on a tip-off about individuals entering the forest to hunt wildlife, forest personnel rushed to the scene. According to sources, the poachers allegedly opened fire on the forest officials, triggering a retaliatory exchange that resulted in the deaths of three.

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Confirming the incident, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said, "I received the information around 5 am about the forest department personnel conducting an encounter with those who had gone to hunt animals."

He added that the state government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the firing, assuring that the investigation will bring out all the facts.