# DMK demands Tamil Nadu govt action on killing of 3 Tamils in Karnataka 2026-08-26T01:17:25+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet The DMK on Tuesday asked the Tamil Nadu government to explain what steps it has taken to secure justice for three Tamil men killed by the Karnataka Forest Department. Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin told the Assembly that the post-mortem reports of Anthony Samy, John Rose Peter and Kumar showed they were tortured and shot at close range. Stalin asked whether Chief Minister Joseph Vijay had raised the issue at the Southern Zonal Council meeting or conveyed Tamil Nadu's condemnation to Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar. He demanded a high-level inquiry and legal assistance for the families. Speaker J C D Prabhakar said the Law Minister would give a detailed reply soon, after a minister had already responded when the issue was raised on August 18. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The Karnataka Forest Department's powers to shoot poachers stem from the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which allows lethal force against armed trespassers in notified sanctuaries. The key question is whether the three men were poaching as alleged, or were locals collecting minor forest produce. A parallel exists in the 2021 Kolar shooting of two suspected buffalo hunters by Karnataka forest staff, where a magisterial inquiry absolved the department. That precedent could shape Tamil Nadu's demand for a CBI or high-level enquiry, since state governments rarely cede jurisdiction. The Southern Zonal Council, chaired by the Union Home Minister, has no mandate to intervene in inter-state law enforcement disputes. The practical outcome hinges on the post-mortem findings, specifically the range and angle of entry of the gunshot wounds, which determine whether the killing was in self-defence or custodial violence. ## Coverage - thefederal.com Led with DMK's accusation of 'brutal killing' and torture claims, without Karnataka's version until paragraph 8 This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: C Joseph Vijay, DK Shivakumar, DMK, Karnataka Forest Department, Tamil Nadu Assembly, Udhayanidhi Stalin Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/dmk-demands-tamil-nadu-govt-action-on-killing-of-3-tamils-in-karnataka/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/dmk-demands-tamil-nadu-govt-action-on-killing-of-3-tamils-in-karnataka/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/