Chennai, Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin on Tuesday said the Tamil Nadu government must ensure justice for three Tamils shot dead by the forest department of Karnataka. In a post on X, Stalin said he spoke in the Legislative Assembly today regarding the postmortem report that has emerged in connection with the incident.

"Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Thiru. @Udhaystalin spoke in the Legislative Assembly today regarding the postmortem report that has emerged in connection with the incident where three Tamils were shot dead by the forest department of the parent state in Karnataka. News has emerged that the postmortem report indicates injuries on the bodies of the Tamils who were shot dead, and that their collarbones were fractured. Information is emerging that all three of the murdered individuals were subjected to custodial torture--they were made to stand very close and then shot dead. "In this brutal incident, the Tamil Nadu government must take appropriate actions to ensure justice for the death of the three Tamils. It must stand in support to ensure that the affected families receive legal assistance," said the Leader of the Opposition.

The remarks came after the three suspected poachers were killed in an exchange of fire with forest personnel in the early hours of Saturday at Maria Mangala Beat near Shagya village in Hanur taluk of Chamarajanagar district.

The deceased have been identified as Antoniswamy, Peter, and Kumar, residents of Thomiyar Palya village in the Maria Mangala Beat area. They are suspected of having entered the forest illegally for hunting.According to the forest personnel's account, the officials on duty at Maria Mangala opened fire after the suspected poachers allegedly pointed a gun at them. The bodies were initially taken to the morgue of Kollegal Government Hospital, where police have deployed a security cordon.

Following the incident, police and forest department officials held a meeting with residents of Maria Mangala and Jagannath Dhodi villages. Chamarajanagar Superintendent of Police Muthuraj, along with senior police and forest officials, met villagers as the investigation continued.

Earlier on August 17, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay condemned the killing of three Tamil residents in an alleged firing by Karnataka Forest Department officials in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary area, terming the incident a "massacre" and demanding a high-level investigation.

In a post on social media platform X, Vijay said, "It is heartbreaking that Anthony Sami, John Rose Peter, and Kumar, who were Tamils residing in villages in the Hanur taluk of Chamarajanagar district in Karnataka, were shot dead by Karnataka Forest Department officials in the early hours of August 15, 2026, in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary area. I strongly condemn this massacre."

Dismissing the initial reports provided by the forest authorities, Vijay added, "The explanation provided by the Karnataka Forest Department regarding this incident is unacceptable. An honest investigation must be conducted regarding this brutal incident. A high-level investigation committee should be constituted, and appropriate punishment should be meted out to those responsible."

Vijay also urged the Karnataka government "to provide all necessary assistance to the families of the victim and to take appropriate measures to ensure that no such incident occurs again." (ANI)