Karnataka forest killings revive memories of 2015 Andhra Pradesh shooting of Tamil woodcutters
The killing of three Tamil-speaking men by Karnataka forest personnel on Saturday (August 15, 2026) following an alleged exchange of fire has brought back painful memories of a similar incident that shook the nation 11 years ago.
In 2015, the newly-formed Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Taskforce in Andhra Pradesh shot dead as many as 20 woodcutters from Tamil Nadu in the Seshachalam forest area near the Tirumala Hills. Described at the time as the bloodiest incident in the decades-old history of red sanders smuggling, the encounter raised serious questions about the use of force by authorities.
According to the official account given by the Taskforce, which comprised police and forest department personnel, a combing operation was underway near Srinivasa Mangapuram, Srivarimettu, and Eethagunta on the Seshachalam hill ranges. After spotting footprints, one group moved towards Eethagunta and another towards Cheekateegalakona. When the teams encountered over 100 woodcutters felling trees and carrying logs, they asked them to surrender. However, the woodcutters allegedly pelted stones and hurled sickles, injuring some personnel.
“When they started attacking us, we fired random shots in self-defence,” a Taskforce member was quoted as saying at the time. In the incident, 20 woodcutters from Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, and Vellore — all working for wages — were killed.
Just three days before the encounter, the Deputy Inspector General of Police M. Kantha Rao, who headed the Taskforce, had sought permission from the State government to open fire at those illegally entering the forest. The timing of the encounter raised eyebrows even in government circles, as reported by Frontline, a sister publication of The Hindu.
The bloodshed triggered widespread outrage and fear. According to a report in Frontline, several relatives of the slain men initially stayed away, fearing they could be “marked” and harassed in the name of investigation. Only seven bodies were claimed by relatives.
At the political level, the then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu briefed Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan over the phone about the “encounter”.
In Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK was in power, with O. Panneerselvam serving as Chief Minister following the conviction of his predecessor J. Jayalalithaa in a corruption case in September 2014. While almost all political parties reacted sharply, Jayalalithaa broke her silence only a day later. In a statement, she expressed doubts over the “self-defence” theory of the Taskforce.
“The statements of the activists and the published photographs raise doubts if the Andhra Pradesh police were justified in their action,” she said. Even if the labourers were involved in smuggling red sanders, she questioned whether the anti-smuggling unit had used only the required force. She granted a solatium of ₹2 lakh from party funds to the families of each of the deceased.
The issue also echoed in the Rajya Sabha, with members seeking a probe by the CBI or a senior judge. The then Home Minister read a statement detailing activities related to red sanders smuggling.
Human rights activists, meanwhile, said the details in the First Information Report appeared “artificial” and “fabricated” to somehow justify the shootout. V. Suresh, national general secretary of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties, said the FIR was full of inconsistencies and contradictions, leading to the inference that it was fabricated. He noted that even going by the FIR, the woodcutters only showed the fire... (the original text cuts off).
The latest incident in Karnataka has again brought focus on the treatment of forest workers and the use of lethal force by enforcement agencies. Authorities have yet to release full details of the August 15 incident, but the historical context underscores the need for thorough investigation and accountability.
