Tension continued on the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border at Palar over the death of A. Palani, 45, of Chettipatti in Kolathur block as villagers waited for the body till Saturday evening.
A large contingent of police was posted on the border as villagers of Chettipatti, Govindapadi and Karaikadu assembled at many places. Superintendents of Police R. Sakthivel (Salem) and J. Loganathan (Dharmapuri) monitored the security arrangements.
Villagers denied Karnataka’s charge that the three crossed the border for poaching. “Even if it is so, the authorities should arrest them and produce them in the court. They have no right to take the life of a person,” a resident of Govindapadi said.
Earlier in the day, Palani’s wife Santha and a few of his relatives, escorted by the police, were taken to the Government Medical College at Mysore where the autopsy was performed.
B.K. Singh, Inspector-General of Police (Southern Range), Karnataka, inspected the checkpoint and the Forest Department office that were attacked by a mob on Friday.
He told reporters that five guns were missing after the attack on the checkpoint. Cases were registered for poaching, the death of a person and the attack on the checkpoint.
Asked whether the forest personnel opened fire on the poachers, he said the investigation was under progress. He also held discussions with Vidya D. Kulkarni, Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Salem Range.
Tamil Nadu police personnel carried out a search for the missing weapons in the forest area along the Palar in the State. Karnataka buses dropped passengers one km ahead of the checkpoint.
