TN political leaders condemn killing of three Tamil farmers by Karnataka forest officials

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu political parties on Sunday condemned the killing of three Tamil farmers by Karnataka forest officials in Chamarajanagar district and demanded a probe into the incident.Former CM M K Stalin said the shooting was ‘shocking’ and demanded a judicial probe. “Attempts to protect those who committed the crime should be avoided and the incident should be registered as a murder case, followed by a transparent and impartial judicial inquiry,” he said. Stalin said the TVK government should provide compensation and government jobs to the families of the victims.He also took a dig at chief minister C Joseph Vijay, saying the TVK government, which had been ‘silent on the Mekedatu row’, should ‘break its silence at least now’ and condemn the Karnataka government. Hours after Stalin’s remarks, Vijay issued a statement condemning the attack on Tamils and demanded a high-level probe.Karnataka forest officials said the three men were poaching wild animals and opened fire at forest personnel when they were confronted. The forest personnel fired at the three in self-defence, Karnataka authorities said.However, PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss said there was no evidence that the three men were poaching or that an exchange of fire had taken place. He alleged that Karnataka forest personnel were using the ‘poaching story’ to cover up the killings.He demanded a CBI probe and Rs 1 crore compensation for each of the three victims’ families — Antony Raj, John and Kumar. “A CBI investigation must be ordered into the matter,” he said, alleging that the truth may not emerge from the magisterial inquiry announced by Karnataka CM D K Shivakumar.CPM state secretary P Shanmugam demanded the dismissal and arrest of the forest officials involved in the shooting. Shanmugam said the three farmers from Tamil Nadu had gone into the forest in search of cattle that had gone missing. He said the allegation that they were hunting was false and that the shooting could not be justified.CPI state secretary M Veerapandian also reiterated the demand for a CBI probe. “The Karnataka govt should register the case as a murder offence and order an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation,” he said.