Karnataka: Villagers Vandalise Forest Office After 3 Alleged Poachers Killed In Shootout At Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary
· Free Press Journal
Bengaluru, August 15, 2026: Tension prevailed in Hanur, Chamarajnagar district, on Saturday, after irate villagers vandalised the forest office at Shadya in Hanur taluk, after forest department officials gunned down three poachers in an early morning encounter in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.
The deceased poachers have been identified as Anthony Swamy, Peter and Kumar, while the fourth associate of the poachers escaped in the darkness.
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The incident started unfolding at around 12.30 am, when the staff in the anti-poaching camp Tomiyaar Palya heard a gunshot. Realising that the poachers were on the prowl, they immediately sent a wireless message to the headquarters. At that time, the forest staff at Hanur, who were making preparations for Independence Day flag hoisting, rushed to the spot in two jeeps.
Encounter With Poachers
While they were combing the area, they saw headlights still on in the forest and approached the area where the headlights were spotted. They spotted four people with guns and asked them to surrender.
After a verbal altercation, the poachers fired one round in the darkness. Immediately, the forest officials retaliated with three guns. While three persons fell down on the spot, the fourth one escaped in the darkness.
When the forest officials approached the poachers, two were found dead on the spot, while the third one was still alive. They shifted all the three to K R Hospital in Mysuru, but the third person died on the way.
Villagers Vandalise Forest Office
Soon after learning about the shootout, the villagers rushed to the Shadya forest office and vandalised the furniture and damaged a motorcycle parked outside the office. The villagers alleged that the forest officials had shot the three after securing them and that it was not an encounter.
They also claimed that the three were never offenders and had gone to the forest in search of the cattle, which had not returned after grazing the previous day. They also claimed that the three were carrying guns to protect themselves from wild animals.
The Shadya village is three kilometres from the border of Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.
Forest Officials Defend Encounter
The forest officials said that this particular gang was very active in the area for a long time. Whenever there is a government holiday involving administrative machinery like Independence Day, Republic Day, Gandhi Jayanti, when the forest officials also celebrate in their offices, the gang used to sneak into the forest for poaching.
Meanwhile, the Chamarajnagar police, who visited the shootout spot, have recovered wild animal meat and other remains from the spot. Besides, they have marked the pellet shots on the tree where the forest officials were standing.
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District in-charge minister Puttaranga Shetty said that he had heard both versions and had asked the police to brief him on the actual situation. He has also sought additional police force to avoid any untoward incident by the mob.
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