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Karnataka Forest Officials Granted Anticipatory Bail in Poacher Encounter Case
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In Short: A Karnataka court granted bail to three forest department personnel accused of killing three suspected poachers during an encounter in the Cauvery Reserve Forest.
A Karnataka court granted anticipatory bail on Tuesday to three forest department personnel accused of killing three suspected poachers in an alleged encounter in the Cauvery Reserve Forest near Hanur, ruling that they need not face custodial interrogation while a magisterial inquiry into the incident remains pending.
The court noted that a magisterial inquiry, mandatory under a 1991 government order whenever forest personnel discharge firearms, was still underway, with the case having since been handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the police.
The incident occurred in a forest covered by bushes, stones, and rocks, and the judge questioned why the men were in the reserve forest with arms in the first place, given that section 31 of the Wildlife Protection Act bars anyone from entering a sanctuary with a weapon without prior written permission.
The victims' family members claim they had ventured into the forest looking for lost cattle, while a fourth man, Mahima Das, escaped from the scene.
What's still developing
- Nothing material beyond the confirmed record.
Sources
- The Indian Express link