Police register murder case against 17 forest personnel including RFO

Mysore: The police registered murder case against 17 forest personnel including a range forest officer on Thursday. It is said that the forest department arrested 3 tribal from Hosahalli Hadi on the charge of illegally selling deer meat. A person in their custody died and the tribals alleged that it was murder.

In this regard, a case of murder and illegal detention has been registered against 17 forest personnel including RFO and DRFO of Gundre Forest Zone in Antarsante Police Station.

Three persons namely Prasad, Muniyappa and Kariappa of Hosahalli Hadi of Gundre forest sector were arrested three days ago in connection with the sale of deer meat. Among them, Kariappa (41) was detained on Monday and he became seriously ill. Later, he was admitted to KR Hospital in Mysuru for further treatment, but he died.

Tribesmen of various Haadis (colony) have protested in front of the Forest Department office to investigate the matter. The protest was withdrawn after an FIR was registered against the forest officer and staff at the police station.

FIR has been registered against Gundre Forest Zone RFO Amritesh, DRFO Karthik Yadav, staff members Anand, Baahubali, Ramu, Shekaraiah, Sadashiva, Manju, Umesh, Sanjay, Rajanayak, Sushma, Mahadevi, Ayyappa, Somesekhar, in connection with the case of murder and alleged illegal detention. A case has been registered against Tangamani and Siddique Pasha at Antarsante police station.

Kariappas son Satish alleged that the forest department officer and staff ''came to the house on Monday night and dragged me and my sister, insulted me and threatened to show me where is his father".

He said that they threatened to shoot him and his family, pour petrol and burn the house.

On the same day at 2.30 in the afternoon, Kariappa, who had gone to forest , was dragged away by the forest department. At 6.30 pm on Tuesday, DRFO Karthik Yadav called one of his relatives, Ravi, and asked him to take Kariappa.

When Ravi went and saw, Kariappa was seriously ill due to the torture given by the forest department. Ravi then refuses to bring him home. Satish explained in the complaint that the forest department took his father to Mysore.

HD Kote Tehsildar Ratnambika reached the mortuary in Mysore and got information about the death of a tribal person who was in the custody of Forest Department personnel.

Speaking to mediapersons he said he don't have much information about the case. "I have come on the instructions of the sub-divisional officer to console the family of the deceased and get details about the incident. But there is no one from the family of the deceased or from the forest department." He said that if the post-mortem examination confirms that Kariappa died due to assault, legal action will be initiated.