Killing of TN man on K’taka border sparks tension

COIMBATORE: Tension gripped villages bordering Tamil Nadu and Karnataka after the body of a missing fisherman, who was allegedly shot by Karnataka forest department, was recovered from Palar River on Friday.

The deceased, Karavadayan alias Raja, 45, from Kolathur near Mettur, along with Ravi, 40, and Ilaya Perumal, 40, went hunting at Adipalar area on the inter-state border on Tuesday night.

“The Karnataka forest department employees encircled the trio of fishermen as they were returning to a coracle in the River Cauvery with two sacks full of poached deer meat. They too opened fire in retaliation and dove into the river to flee,” according to police sources.

While Raja suffered a bullet shot, two others managed to escape and went missing. Meanwhile, Raja’s body was discovered floating in Cauvery River in Adipalar in Bargur police station limits in Erode. The body was recovered and taken to Salem Government Hospital for a post-mortem.

The Karnataka forest department maintained that they opened fire only after the trio shot at them. “One individual was fired upon, but they all managed to flee. The coracle and deer meat were then seized. Based on our complaint, a police investigation is underway,” they said to Mettur MLA S Sadhasivam, who held talks with police and forest department from the neighbouring state.

However, Raja’s family claimed that had if he been killed by gunfire, then his body would have been floating in the Cauvery river the next day itself. “His body was spotted only after three days, which strengthens our suspicion that the Karnataka forest department may have tortured him to death in custody,” they said.

Due to heightened tensions in the villages bordering Tamil Nadu-Karnataka, bus services between the two states were suspended until the afternoon and more than 250 police officers from both states were deployed as a precautionary measure. A search is underway for two other fishermen who are still missing.

Incidentally, in the year 2018, Raja escaped with a bullet injury to his leg, while another fisherman Palani was gunned down when Karnataka forest department opened fire at them.