Chamarajanagar: Chamarajanagar Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate Shreeroopa has submitted the report of the magisterial inquiry into the Aug. 15 shooting incident in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary to Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh.

The nearly 200-page report was handed over in Bengaluru by Shreeroopa and Kollegal Assistant Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Meena, who conducted the inquiry.

Forest officials had shot dead Antony Swamy, 50, John Rose Peter, 43 and Sebastian David Kumar, 35, during a search for suspected poachers at Karadikallu Gudda, Hanur range on the intervening night of Aug. 14 and 15. One more person, Mahimadas, escaped the firing.

The Forest Department maintained that its personnel opened fire after the three men allegedly attempted to shoot at them.

However, the family of Antony Swamy disputed the claim. His wife, Lurtha Mary, lodged a complaint with the Hanur Police, alleging that the three men had entered the forest in search of a missing cow and were killed by forest personnel.

The State Government ordered a magisterial inquiry to establish the circumstances leading to the firing and determine whether criminal proceedings should be initiated against the forest officials. The shooting case has also been handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Several incidents were reported in the aftermath of the shootout, including vandalism at forest offices and residential quarters, damage to vehicles, gelatin blasts at suspected poaching camps and deliberate setting of forest fires.

Cases registered at Ramapura, Hanur and Kollegal Rural Police Stations in connection with the shooting, destruction of alleged poaching camps and damage to a jeep have also been transferred to the CID. Investigators have obtained the relevant case records.

With four separate cases registered in connection with the incidents, the inquiry officer sought additional time to complete the probe. Accordingly, the original Aug. 24 deadline was extended by three days and the report was submitted to the Deputy Commissioner on Aug. 27.

Confirming the development, DC Shreeroopa said the magisterial inquiry report had been submitted to the Government.