CHENNAI: Cutting across party lines, TVK allies and opposition members in the assembly on Tuesday demanded a high-level probe into the killing of three Tamils by Karnataka forest department personnel, with DMK seeking a judicial inquiry and other parties calling for a CBI probe. They appealed to the TN govt to extend financial assistance to the victims’ families.Citing the Karnataka govt’s response, minister for electricity and law R Nirmalkumar said the neighbouring state had ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident.Chief minister C Joseph Vijay had strongly condemned the killing, and the state govt would not compromise on Tamils’ welfare and interest and would act promptly to ensure their rights wherever they were, said the minister while responding to a special calling attention motion over the killing of P Anthonysamy, John Rose Peter, and Kumar.The trio were killed in a shootout by Karnataka forest personnel in the Hanur forest range in the early hours of August 15.Minister for forest and climate change R V Ranjithkumar said the TVK govt was contemplating on providing financial aid of Rs 10 lakh to each of the victims’ families.Earlier, DMK legislator P H Manoj Pandian dubbed the killings as “fake encounters” and asked whether the TN govt had communicated on the incident to the National Human Rights Commission as per Supreme Court orders and what other measures were taken. Nirmalkumar responded that they would take appropriate action in the coming days.Former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami demanded a CBI inquiry and urged the TN govt to provide additional financial assistance to the victims’ families. “The TN govt should hold talks with the Karnataka govt to prevent such incidents hereafter,” said Palaniswami.PMK, CPI, Congress and BJP legislators also demanded a CBI probe into the case.“Bullets should not determine the lives of Tamils,” said CPI MLA T Ramachandran, recalling the killing of 20 Tamils in Andhra Pradesh’s Seshachalam forest area in 2015.
