• Number of security guards increased around Lingambudhi Lake
• Foot patrolling to be intensified around reserve forests
• Cops hope to arrest other accused through Shankar’s phone

 Following the shooting at the mini forests near Lingambudhi Lake on Saturday morning, where a Forest Watcher shot dead Shankar, a sandalwood smuggler who was one among the 8-10 member gang found chopping sandalwood trees, the Forest Department has increased the number of security guards from three to eight around Lingambudhi Lake alone and will also intensify foot patrolling around reserve forests and areas known to have sandalwood growth in the Mysuru Territorial Division.

Dr. V. Karikalan, Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), Mysuru  Division, said that apart from intensifying foot patrolling, the Forest Department would also expedite the strengthening of the existing cattle proof trenches around the territorial forests.

He also said that CCTV cameras would be installed at the entry/ exit gates and inside the forest areas to monitor the activities there and added that a small unfenced space between the forest and the burial ground, from where the smugglers entered the forest would be fenced besides asking the locals and leaders to fence the burial ground.

He said that there has been an increase in sandalwood smuggling in recent months with sandalwood trees being felled in the Deputy Commissioner’s residential quarters and added that two incidents of sandalwood trees being cut has been reported in Lingambudhi Lake in the first week of this month.

Cops hope to arrest other accused through Shankar’s phone: The Forest Department has handed over Shankar’s cellphone, which was found at the crime scene, to Kuvempunagar Police Station and the Cops are verifying the contact details and call records in Shankar’s phone to arrest his accomplices in crime.

Investigation by the Cops have revealed that Shankar is the son of Maraiah and Jayamma and had married Mahadevi.

The couple has a son and Mahadevi is expecting their second child. Shankar worked as a daily wager in Mysuru and used to engage in agriculture in their two acre land during weekends.

Investigations also revealed that Shankar’s sister, who lives in Ramanagaram, had recently come and stayed at her parents’ house in H.D. Kote for some days. Shankar, on Friday, had accompanied his sister to the Sub-Urban Bus Stand where she boarded a bus to Ramanagaram while Shankar stayed in Mysuru and the next day early morning, he was killed in the shootout.

The body of Shankar was handed over to his relatives after post-mortem and other formalities and the last rites were performed on Sunday evening.