Bengaluru

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday dismissed demands from Tamil Nadu politicians for a CBI inquiry into the death of three suspected poachers in Chamarajanagar on August 15.

Asserting that Karnataka would protect the “sanctity” of its territory, Shivakumar said Tamil Nadu should manage its own law and order issues.

Addressing reporters here, he said, “This is a federal structure. No state should interfere with the administration of any other state. People should have this basic understanding. I cannot get involved in any of the law and order problems of Tamil Nadu. Every state has its own problems.”

His remarks follow a 'call attention' motion moved in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, where the members demanded a high-level probe into the firing incident involving the Karnataka forest department.

Anthony Samy, John Rose Peter, and Kumar, who lived in the villages in Hanur Taluk of Chamarajanagar district in Karnataka, were shot dead by the forest department in the early hours of August 15, in the Cauvery Wildlife sanctuary area. The suspected poachers were Tamils.

Following the incident, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay strongly condemned the alleged brutal killing and sought a fair investigation by a high-level committee into the heinous incident.

Raising the issue, former Chief Minister and AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami claimed that the victims' families had stated that the Karnataka forest department allegedly shot and killed three men while a fourth individual is currently receiving medical treatment for injuries at a government hospital in Mysuru.

Palaniswami urged the Tamil Nadu government to pursue a CBI investigation into the matter to uncover the truth, noting that the location of the incident sits on the border of two states.

According to officials in Karnataka, the forest personnel conducting an anti-poaching operation came under fire from the group, following which the personnel allegedly returned fire in self-defence, resulting in three deaths.

Responding to a question about Vijay's criticism, Shivakumar said he did not want to comment on every statement.

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“They should also know that we know how to protect our state. Let them do their job; we will do ours... I don't want to interfere in their administration. We have to protect whatever sanctity there is of our state,” he said.

“I don't want to comment on everything. This is a general issue. They should do their job; we should do our job,” he added.