Home · Health · Sep 10 archive
Karnataka Forest Officials Granted Bail in Poacher Killing Case
Developing
In Short: A Karnataka court granted anticipatory bail to three forest department personnel accused of killing three suspected poachers in an alleged encounter.
A Karnataka court granted anticipatory bail 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.
Forest department officials have registered a case against the fourth man, stating that they have recovered two muzzle-loading guns along with 38 spent cartridges, contending that the group had entered the protected forest armed and had fired on the officials first, who then returned fire in self-defence.
The judge also pointed to legal protections available to forest officers, including under section 114 of the Karnataka Forest Act, which shields officers acting in good faith from prosecution.
The court noted that the place of incident was in the middle of the forest covered by bushes, stones, and rocks, and it was dark at 4 am, making it difficult for the forest officials to aim towards the deceased, as the bullets hit below the waist.
Forest department officials have registered a case against the fourth man, stating that they have recovered two muzzle-loading guns along with 38 spent cartridges, contending that the group had entered the protected forest armed and had fired on the officials first, who then returned fire in self-defence.
The 1991 order permits forest personnel to use firearms to protect forest property and their own lives, using minimum necessary force, but bars the police from arresting or proceeding against officers involved in a shooting until the magisterial inquiry’s findings are known.
What's still developing
- Stating that section 31 of the Wildlife Protection Act bars anyone from entering a sanctuary with a weapon without prior written permission, the judge asked why the men were in the reserve forest with arms in the first place.
- The victims’ family members claim they had ventured into the forest looking for lost cattle.
Sources
- The Indian Expresslink