Hanur Shootout Case: Prashanth Jattanna Demands Judicial Probe
Udupi: Prashanth Jattanna, Director of the Karnataka Christian Development Corporation, has urged the state government to order an independent judicial inquiry headed by a High Court judge into the incident in which three people were killed in firing by forest department personnel in the Chikkallur Reserve Forest area of Hanur taluk in Chamarajanagar district.
In a press release, Jattanna said it was deeply painful that Hanur residents Antony Swamy (50), John Rose Peter (42), and Antony Kumar (33) were killed in firing by forest department personnel in the Chikkallur Reserve Forest area of the Cauvery Wildlife Division in the early hours of Sunday.
He said innocent lives had been lost allegedly due to excessive action by forest department personnel, leaving the families of the deceased devastated. If the victims had committed any wrongdoing, they should have been arrested and dealt with according to law rather than being shot dead, he said. He added that the alleged conduct of the forest personnel had shocked the Christian community.
Jattanna clarified that the community does not support illegal entry into protected forest areas, hunting, poaching, or any other unlawful activities. However, he said such allegations alone could not justify shooting and killing anyone. A transparent and impartial investigation was essential to establish the facts, fix responsibility, and ensure justice for the families of the deceased, he said.
Forest personnel have claimed that they faced an immediate and genuine threat to their lives at the time of the incident. Jattanna said all aspects of the incident should be examined through an independent and impartial investigation rather than through speculation or mutual allegations. The role of every forest department personnel involved in the incident should be thoroughly investigated, he added.
Jattanna also urged the government to provide adequate compensation to the families of the deceased and take appropriate steps to ensure justice for them.