Mysuru: Archbishop of Bengaluru Rev Peter Machado and Mysore Diocese Bishop Rev Francis Serrao have urged the state govt to order a judicial inquiry headed by a high court judge into the Hanur shooting case and provide adequate compensation to the affected families.In a statement, the Mysore Diocese described the deaths of Antony Swamy, 50, John Rose Peter, 42, and Antony Kumar, 33, who were killed in the shooting, as deeply tragic.Bishop Francis Serrao said the Church does not support trespassing into protected forests, poaching, or any other unlawful activities in reserve forest areas. “However, when those entrusted with enforcing the law resort to lethal force, it is a grave violation of the principles of a civilised society. The use of deadly force to take human lives based merely on suspicion or allegations cannot be justified under any circumstances,” he said.Serrao noted that although a murder case had been registered at Hanur police station, no specific forest department personnel involved in the incident had been named so far.Archbishop Peter Machado said the incident had raised serious questions about the circumstances surrounding the deaths, including whether there was an immediate and credible threat to the lives of forest department personnel and whether the use of lethal force was unavoidable.“These questions must be addressed through an independent, impartial and transparent investigation rather than assumptions or competing claims,” he said.
