Mysore (AsiaNews) – Three men from the Catholic community in Mysore – Anthony Swamy, John Rose Peter and Anthony Kumar – were shot dead by staff from the Karnataka Forest Department on the morning of 15 August, in the Hanur area, within the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, in the Chamarajanagar district. A fourth man, Mahimai Dass, was wounded and is being treated in hospital in Mysuru.
According to the authorities’ account, the officers opened fire in self-defence after encountering the group, who were suspected of poaching and were reportedly carrying homemade rifles and wild animal meat. However, family members, villagers and local representatives reject this version of events. According to them, the four men had entered the forest in search of some missing cattle. The victims’ relatives have filed a murder complaint against the officers involved.
The victims belonged to the Catholic communities of Thomayarpalayam and Mariamangalam. Their funerals took place on 17 August at St Thomas’ Church in Thomayarpalayam.
In the wake of the tragedy, the Bishop of Mysore, the Jesuit Monsignor Francis Serrao, expressed the diocese’s grief and announced his intention to visit the bereaved families. In a statement sent to AsiaNews, the bishop called for an independent investigation to establish who was responsible.
“The Catholic Diocese of Mysore expresses its shock, anguish and unbearable grief at the tragic death of three of its faithful,” said Serrao, emphasising that the Church “reserves no reservations in respecting state law” and does not condone “illegal entry into a protected forest, poaching or any unlawful activity”.
At the same time, however, the bishop points out that “the sanctity and dignity of human life must always be protected”. Furthermore, the officers’ account – according to which the shots were fired in self-defence – is “strongly contested by the villagers and local residents”.
For Bishop Serrao, the use of lethal force by the authorities is a matter of the utmost gravity and must comply with “the principles of necessity, proportionality, moderation and strict observance of the law”. The bishop therefore poses a series of questions: “Was lethal force truly unavoidable? Was there an immediate and serious threat to the officers’ lives such as to justify such violence? Was the use of firearms necessary and proportionate?”.
The diocese is calling on the Karnataka government to establish “an independent judicial inquiry chaired by a sitting High Court judge”, capable of reconstructing the entire sequence of events, including the reason for the men’s entry into the forest, their interaction with the officers, the alleged attack and the use of firearms.
According to Bishop Serrao, particular importance must be attached to the testimony of the survivor, Mahimai Dass. “The truth cannot remain buried in the silence of the forest,” commented the bishop, who also called for adequate financial compensation and a public-sector job for a suitable member of each of the affected families.
“No earthly compensation can restore lives that have been cut short,” the bishop concluded, “but practical support is essential” so that the families can cope with this tragedy. The Diocese of Mysore, he assured, will continue to stand by the families, calling for truth, justice, accountability and respect for human life.
Photo: Catholic Connect/Indian Express
