The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded a judicial inquiry into the killing of three persons in an encounter at Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary. Leader of Opposition R. Ashok made the demand on Sunday, stating that officials involved in the encounter should be relieved of their duties until the truth is revealed.
Ashok expressed concerns over the authenticity of the encounter, questioning whether it was genuine or fake. He pointed out that this was the first such incident in the Forest Department in the last decade. The BJP leader also raised doubts about the manner in which the three persons were killed, stating that they were shot directly in the chest. Furthermore, Ashok noted that the bodies were taken to Mysuru before the police could conduct a mahazar, and that the department had not disclosed any previous offences against the deceased.
The need for a judicial inquiry was emphasized by Ashok, who argued that a departmental inquiry would not be sufficient to uncover the truth. He highlighted the discrepancies between the accounts of the people and the department officials, stating that a judicial inquiry was necessary to bring clarity to the situation.
Union Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy also questioned the encounter, wondering if the three persons were indeed dreaded forest poachers like Veerappan, who posed a significant threat to warrant being killed. Speaking to media persons in Guledagudda, Kumaraswamy argued that forest officials could have apprehended the individuals alive or shot at their legs if they had been involved in poaching and attempted to attack them.
