In a statement, Shanmugam said Anthony Raj, John and Kumar, residents of Thomaiyarpalayam village in Hanur taluk, had entered the forest area where they routinely grazed cattle to search for missing cattle when they were allegedly shot dead by forest department personnel.

He alleged that the forest officials were falsely claiming that the three men had gone hunting in an attempt to cover up the incident.

"The shooting cannot be accepted under any circumstances. The forest personnel responsible should be dismissed and arrested," Shanmugam said.

He also urged the Tamil Nadu government to convey its strong condemnation to the Karnataka government, pointing out that the victims were Tamil-origin farmers.